Biology subjects

Fan, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Fan, C..

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Interwoven DNA-MOF crystals for multi-millennial data storage

DNA has emerged as a promising medium for high-density and energy-efficient data storage, providing a promising solution to capacity constraints and energy demands resulting from the exponential growth of data. Long-term stable storage of DNA data in ambient conditions is a critical requirement for its practical application. Whereas strategies have been proposed to protect DNA from environmental degradation, they are often at the expense of data storage density. Here, we propose a strategy via interweaving metal-organic framework (MOF) and DNA to synthesize DNA-MOF crystal (DNA-MOF), a high-density and long-lifespan DNA-based information material. The uniform distribution of DNA molecules within the crystalline frameworks enables a high loading capacity of up to 30 wt%, corresponding to a theoretical information density of 106.6 exabytes/g. The crystal structure of MOF-DNA demonstrates efficient resistance to environmental damage such as heat, ultraviolet radiation, DNase, etc., achieving an estimated archival half-life over 24,000 years at 9.4 {degrees}C. The interwoven DNA-MOF crystals establish a material foundation for the reliable operation of DNA storage systems in open-field deployment and provide a new pathway toward sustainable long-term management of massive data.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2025

Error encoding in human speech motor cortex

Humans monitor their actions, including detecting errors during speech production. This self-monitoring capability also enables speech neuroprosthesis users to recognize mistakes in decoded output upon receiving visual or auditory feedback. However, it remains unknown whether neural activity related to error detection is present in the speech motor cortex. In this study, we demonstrate the existence of neural error signals in speech motor cortex firing rates during intracortical brain-to-text speech neuroprosthesis use. This activity could be decoded to enable the neuroprosthesis to identify its own errors with up to 86% accuracy. Additionally, we observed distinct neural patterns associated with specific types of mistakes, such as phonemic or semantic differences between the persons intended and displayed words. These findings reveal how feedback errors are represented within the speech motor cortex, and suggest strategies for leveraging these additional cognitive signals to improve neuroprostheses.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

DNA framework array enables ultra-high throughput DNA synthesis

High-throughput DNA synthesis has revolutionized synthetic biology, molecular diagnostics, genome engineering, and DNA data storage by enabling the scalable and precise construction of nucleotide-based information systems. However, existing high-throughput synthesis technologies rely on top-down fabrication strategies to maximize throughput, yet they are inherently constrained by physical limitations. These constraints make it exceedingly difficult to achieve single-molecule level synthesis control that is essential for advancing next-generation DNA synthesis. Here, we present a DNA framework-based bottom-up enzymatic synthesis strategy that enables single-molecule level control of DNA synthesis with high-throughput. Leveraging the nanoscale addressability of DNA frameworks, we achieved a synthesis site pitch of 10.9 nm--183-fold smaller than that of previously reported electrode arrays. Theoretical projections suggest that this approach could scale synthesis throughput to 5.3 x 1011 sequences per square centimeter, representing a four-order-of-magnitude improvement over existing synthesis arrays. This approach lays the foundation for gigabyte-scale DNA writing and offers a highly accessible pathway toward large-scale DNA synthesis for emerging applications such as molecular data storage.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Tnfrsf10 Signaling is Required to Maintain the Stem Cell Niche in the Zebrafish Lateral Line

Regenerative capacity varies significantly among species and across different organs. In mammals, the inner ear exhibits a limited ability to regenerate hair cells, whereas the lateral line sensory organ of zebrafish demonstrates apparently limitless capability to spontaneously regenerate hair cells following injury. However, the specific cell populations representing the stem cells in the neuromast and the mechanism of stem cell self-renewal remain unclear. In this study, we show that a mutation in tnfrsfa led to the depletion of neuromast sensory organs and impairment of hair cell regeneration in zebrafish. The decrease of cells peripheral to the neuromasts in tnfrsfa mutants indicates that these peripheral cells, particularly cells called "mantle cells", serve as the stem cells within the neuromast. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the ligands Tnfsf10 and Tnfsf10l3 (TRAIL) act through Tnfrsfa activating the NF-{kappa}B signaling pathway in the mantle cells in a non-cell-autonomous manner. NF-{kappa}B signaling is crucial for maintaining the stem cell identity of the mantle cells through activation or maintenance of sox2 expression. These findings demonstrate a critical role for TNF superfamily signaling in stem cell maintenance. HighlightsO_LIZebrafish tnfrsfa maintains the stem cell niche in neuromasts and is necessary for hair cell regeneration of the lateral line C_LIO_LITnfrsfa is essential for mantle cell proliferation during lateral line development and hair cell regeneration C_LIO_LITnfsf10 and Tnfsf10l3 signal through Tnfrsfa, activating NF-{kappa}B signaling and Sox2 expression in the mantle cells in a non-cell-autonomous manner C_LIO_LITnfrsfa regulates the development of neuromast independently of the Notch signaling pathway C_LI

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Harnessing Diversity Generating Retroelements for in vivo targeted hyper-mutagenesis

The rapid evolution of novel functions requires targeted mutagenesis to avoid harmful mutations. Diversity-generating retroelements (DGRs) are natural systems that accelerate the evolution of diverse bacterial functions through targeted hypermutation. Here, we establish a method utilizing DGRs coupled to recombineering (DGRec), enabling the diversification of any sequence of interest in E. coli. DGRec can programmably diversify specific residues by leveraging the high error rate of the DGR reverse-transcriptase at adenines. We perform a detailed characterization of the reverse-transcriptase biases, highlighting how it maximizes the exploration of the sequence space while avoiding nonsense mutations. Applied to the phage {lambda} GpJ receptor binding domain, and to its lamB receptor, DGRec created diverse variants enabling E. coli to evade infection, and {lambda} to reinfect lamB mutants.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Manganese suppresses tumor growth through hyper-activating IRE1α

IRE1 and its downstream XBP1 signal is the most conserved unfolded protein response pathway that cells utilize to combat endoplasmic reticulum stress, also known to be utilized by tumor cells to adapt to harsh environment, leading to tumor progression. Several inhibitors against IRE1 have been developed, some of which show promising effect in clinical trial for cancer therapy, but none of them have been used in practice. Considering that hyper-activation of IRE1 induces cell death, we hypothesize that activation of IRE1 could be an alternative way for tumor suppression. Here, we identified divalent manganese ion as a potent activator to IRE1, which interacts with the cytosolic part of IRE1 directly, augmenting the downstream pro-apoptotic pathway but not the pro-survival outcome. Mn2+ limits tumor growth in xenograft model in an IRE1-dependent way. Our finding suggests pharmacological activation of IRE1 as an underestimated but promising way in cancer therapy. HighlightsO_LIMn2+ binds to cytosolic segment of IRE1 and promotes its oligomerization C_LIO_LIMn2+ hyper-activates IRE1 and induces downstream terminal UPR under ER stress C_LIO_LIMn2+ does not elevate XBP1s expression C_LIO_LIMn2+ as an IRE1 activator impairs tumor growth in xenograft model C_LI

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

RNA-triggered fluorescence controlled by RNA switches for real-time RNA expression tracking in living plants

Real-time visualization of RNA dynamics across spatial scales in living plants is desirable yet remains challenging, hindered by the absence of imaging tools that simultaneously offer high sensitivity and deployability in whole living plants. Here, we engineered a modular, RNA-triggered fluorescence (RTF) reporter system de novo for spatiotemporal imaging of RNA from cellular to whole-plant scales in vivo. This system integrates three functional modules: a target-specific allosteric RNA switch, a degradable adapter for background suppression, and a fluorescent reporter. All components are stably expressed from a single vector and assemble in vivo, enabling uniform deployment throughout entire plants. The modified RTF (RTFst) achieves single-molecule sensitivity (signal-to-noise ratio >60) for dynamic tracking of developmentally regulated, tissue-specific, circadian, and stress-responsive mRNAs. Crucially, it enables the first direct, real-time observation of graft-transmissible mRNA trafficking across tissue scales and cross-kingdom transfer of the aphid-secreted long non-coding RNA Ya1 to plant cells. RTF establishes a versatile platform for studying gene regulation, signaling, and transcript mobility in plants, with broad applicability in synthetic biology and crop improvement.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Calcium stabilization of a flexible N-terminal domain in a pentameric ligand-gated ion channel

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) are responsible for the rapid conversion of chemical to electrical signals. In addition to the canonical extracellular and transmembrane domains, some prokaryotic pLGICs contain an N-terminal domain (NTD) of unclear structure and function. In one such case, the calcium-sensitive channel DeCLIC, the NTD appears to accelerate gating; however, its evident flexibility has posed a challenge to model building, and its role in calcium sensitivity is unclear. Here we report cryo-EM structures of DeCLIC to the highest resolutions thus far, in circularized lipid nanodiscs. Application of refinement tools enabled definition of multiple calcium-binding sites in each symmetric subunit. Under calcium-free conditions, both symmetric and asymmetric classes could be reconstructed, implicating a heterogeneous ensemble. Behavior of these structures in molecular dynamics simulations was consistent with calcium stabilization of the NTD, an effect that may be conserved in structurally homologous domains across evolution.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

A Novel COE-D8-Fosfomycin Conjugate Effectively Against First-line Antibiotic Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli

Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are increasingly associated with antibiotic resistance, posing significant clinical challenges. This study evaluates the antimicrobial efficacy of the membrane-intercalating conjugated oligoelectrolyte COE-D8 against uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). Among 93 clinical UPEC isolates, over 50% demonstrated resistance to first-line antibiotics, with compound sulfamethoxazole showing the highest resistance (75% at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) >512 g/mL). COE-D8 significantly reduced resistance rates, achieving less than 50% at 32 g/mL and below 5% at 512 g/mL, while demonstrating at least fourfold faster bacterial elimination than standard antibiotics. Mechanistic studies revealed that COE-D8 disrupts bacterial membranes, inducing rapid lysis. However, its cytotoxicity in mammalian cells at 2 g/mL limits clinical application. To address this, a combination therapy with fosfomycin was explored, significantly reducing COE-D8 toxicity by at least fourfold in vitro. In mouse models, fosfomycin co-administration mitigated COE-D8-induced toxicity and prevented mortality at higher doses without compromising antimicrobial efficacy. These findings highlight the potential of COE-D8, particularly in combination with fosfomycin, as a promising strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant UPEC while addressing toxicity challenges.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

High-pressure Golgi neuronal staining for X-ray whole-brain imaging

Whole-brain imaging has revolutionized neuroscience research, providing comprehensive insights into neural networks across the entire brain. This powerful approach has greatly advanced our understanding of brain functions and the mechanisms underlying various diseases. One primary challenge in whole-brain imaging technology is to achieve high-resolution observation of neural networks at large scales. Although Golgi method allows labeling random neurons in their entirety in the brain, visualizing individual dendritic trees, and tracing long-distance axonal projections, the lengthy processing time pose a limit on its use, i.e., staining a mouse whole-brain sample of just 300 mm3 takes over two weeks. Here, we developed a rapid staining technique for whole-brain neurons using high-pressure assisted Golgi (HP Golgi). This method significantly reduced the staining time for mouse whole-brain neurons from 16 days to only 4 days. We demonstrated the broad applicability of the HP Golgi method across various model organisms, achieving whole-brain neuronal staining in zebrafish, mice, and rats. Further, we successfully performed rapid staining of hippocampal neurons in an intact pig brain, which is difficult to achieve with the classic Golgi-Cox method. We also demonstrated that the combination of the HP Golgi method with synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy for high-resolution imaging of whole-brain neurons in mice. This HP Golgi method enables fast and high-resolution neuronal imaging in large model organisms, showcasing its broad applicability for diverse applications.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2025

Cross-reactive sarbecovirus antibodies induced by mosaic RBD-nanoparticles

Broad immune responses are needed to mitigate viral evolution and escape. To induce antibodies against conserved receptor-binding domain (RBD) regions of SARS-like betacoronavirus (sarbecovirus) spike proteins that recognize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and zoonotic sarbecoviruses, we developed mosaic-8b RBD-nanoparticles presenting eight sarbecovirus RBDs arranged randomly on a 60-mer nanoparticle. Mosaic-8b immunizations protected animals from challenges from viruses whose RBDs were matched or mismatched to those on nanoparticles. Here, we describe neutralizing mAbs isolated from mosaic-8b-immunized rabbits, some on par with Pemgarda, the only currently FDA-approved therapeutic mAb. Deep mutational scanning, in vitro selection of spike resistance mutations, and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structures of spike-antibody complexes demonstrated targeting of conserved RBD epitopes. Rabbit mAbs included critical D-gene segment RBD-recognizing features in common with human anti-RBD mAbs, despite rabbit genomes lacking an equivalent human D-gene segment, thus demonstrating that the immune systems of humans and other mammals can utilize different antibody gene segments to arrive at similar modes of antigen recognition. These results suggest that animal models can be used to elicit anti-RBD mAbs with similar properties to those raised in humans, which can then be humanized for therapeutic use, and that mosaic RBD-nanoparticle immunization coupled with multiplexed screening represents an efficient way to generate and select broadly cross-reactive therapeutic pan-sarbecovirus and pan-SARS-CoV-2 variant mAbs. Significance StatementSARS-CoV-2 variants and potential zoonotic sarbecovirus infections continue to threaten human health. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 mAbs that recognize conserved epitopes could be used prophylactically or therapeutically. We present approaches to elicit and identify cross-reactive mAbs using immunizations in animals with mosaic RBD-nanoparticles. We show that human and other mammalian immune systems can utilize different antibody gene segments to arrive at similar modes of antigen recognition, underscoring the flexibility of mammalian antibody repertoires and suggesting that experimental animals can be used to generate therapeutically-useful cross-reactive anti-RBD mAbs. The combination of mosaic-8b RBD-nanoparticles to focus the immune response and a multiplexed assay to select cross-reactive mAbs can be applied at larger scale, or against other pathogens, to identify mAbs of therapeutic and scientific potential.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

An ultra-long heavy chain bovine antibody neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 and reacts broadly with sarbecoviruses.

The ongoing threat of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and other sarbecoviruses has driven efforts to develop broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This study used immunized cattle, known for producing antibodies with ultra-long CDRH3 domains, to generate 33 mAbs, ten of which had ultra-long CDRH3s (>50 amino acids). Of these, mAbs P7 and 99, demonstrated broad and potent neutralization. Notably, mAb P7 neutralized all tested variants, including SARS-CoV-1, with IC50 values between 0.05 and 9.2 {micro}g/mL, and showed cross-reactivity with RBDs from various sarbecoviruses. Structural analysis revealed that mAb 99 binds the spike proteins RBD at the ACE2 binding site. Although the exact binding of P7 wasnt resolved, evidence suggests it targets a hidden epitope, promoting spike trimer dissociation via its extended CDRH3. In Syrian hamsters, both mAbs significantly reduced lung viral loads. These results support the potential of bovine-derived mAbs, particularly those with ultra-long CDRH3s, for future antiviral therapies.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Gene encoding CC-NBS-LRR protein on rye chromosome 1RS confers wheat stripe rust resistance

Stripe rust, a globally widespread disease, stands as one of the most significant threats to wheat cultivation. The 1BL/1RS translocation, renowned for its robust resistance to both rust and powdery mildew, has historically played an important role in wheat breeding and production. The gene for resistance to stripe rust on the 1RS is known as Yr9 and plays an important role in the production of wheat, but over the course of long-term breeding had lost its resistance due to the evolution of stripe rust towards greater and greater virulence. In this paper, we cloned the stripe rust resistance gene, Yr9, from triticale by genetic mapping approach. The Yr9 encodes a typical nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) protein. Both transgenic and overexpression of Yr9 in highly stripe rust susceptible wheat varieties conferred complete resistance to the stripe rust races CYR17 and partial resistance to the stripe rust races CYR32, CYR33, and CYR34. In addition, the Yr9 allele in the 1BL/1RS translocation line also showed the same level of resistance to stripe rust. Both two alleles loses resistance when deployed in the field or inoculated with mixed physiological races collected from the field. Our findings provide valuable insights for breeders to strategically incorporate disease resistance genes and provides a foundation for further understanding how pathogenic bacteria might evolve to evade recognition via NLR type proteins. SignificanceThe 1BL/1RS translocation between wheat and rye is the most successful case of exogenous gene application in plant genetic improvement and has been used in wheat breeding for over 50 years. Here we report the cloning of a stripe rust resistance gene Yr9 located on rye chromosome 1RS using a triticale population. The Yr9 encodes a coiled-coil nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (CC-NBS-LRR) protein that show complete resistance to the stripe rust races CYR17 and partial resistance to the stripe rust races CYR32, CYR33, and CYR34, albeit demonstrating susceptibility under field conditions. Our findings position Yr9 as an ideal candidate gene to study the mechanism of inactivation of disease resistance genes as a result of pathogen evolution.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2024

Few-shot Algorithms for Consistent Neural Decoding (FALCON) Benchmark

Intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs) can restore movement and communication abilities to individuals with paralysis by decoding their intended behavior from neural activity recorded with an implanted device. While this activity yields high-performance decoding over short timescales, neural data are often nonstationary, which can lead to decoder failure if not accounted for. To maintain performance, users must frequently recalibrate decoders, which requires the arduous collection of new neural and behavioral data. Aiming to reduce this burden, several approaches have been developed that either limit recalibration data requirements (few-shot approaches) or eliminate explicit recalibration entirely (zero-shot approaches). However, progress is limited by a lack of standardized datasets and comparison metrics, causing methods to be compared in an ad hoc manner. Here we introduce the FALCON benchmark suite (Few-shot Algorithms for COnsistent Neural decoding) to standardize evaluation of iBCI robustness. FALCON curates five datasets of neural and behavioral data that span movement and communication tasks to focus on behaviors of interest to modern-day iBCIs. Each dataset includes calibration data, optional few-shot recalibration data, and private evaluation data. We implement a flexible evaluation platform which only requires user-submitted code to return behavioral predictions on unseen data. We also seed the benchmark by applying baseline methods spanning several classes of possible approaches. FALCON aims to provide rigorous selection criteria for robust iBCI decoders, easing their translation to real-world devices. https://snel-repo.github.io/falcon/

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

OsWHY1/OsTRXz/OsMORFs complex is essential for RNA modification and early chloroplast development in rice

WHIRLY (WHY) proteins are single-stranded DNA/RNA-binding proteins that play multifaceted roles in various plant species. The regulatory mechanisms of WHY proteins in rice remains blank. Here we demonstrate that OsWHY1 in rice is required for early chloroplast development. CRISPR/Cas9-generated oswhy1 knockout lines displayed albino seedling phenotypes, abnormal chloroplast structure and comprised redox balance in leaves. OsWHY1 interacts with multiple plastid proteins, including the thioredoxin OsTRXz and two multiple organellar RNA editing factors (OsMORF8 and OsMORF9) in chloroplasts. Accordingly, several plastid genes dependent on plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP) in the oswhy1 mutants were significantly depressed at both transcript and protein levels. The editing of rps14 transcripts and splicing of rpl2, along with their protein expression, were defective in the oswhy1 mutants. OsWHY1 exhibited RNA-binding activity, specifically binding to rps14 and rpl2 precursor RNAs, which underscores its role as a post-transcriptional regulator essential for normal protein synthesis in chloroplasts. Loss-of- function mutants of either OsWHY1 or OsMORF9 and OsTRXz displayed albino phenotypes, disrupted H2O2 homeostasis, and defective RNA processing in rps14 and rpl2, suggesting the OsWHY1-OsTRXz-OsMORFs regulatory module is vital for maintaining chloroplast stability and integrity through its RNA-binding activity and its role in recruiting OsTRXz and OsMORFs to ensure proper RNA modification. One sentence summaryOsWHY1 is integral to chloroplast development in rice through its RNA-binding activity and its role in recruiting OsTRXz and OsMORFs to ensure proper RNA modification.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Involvement of OsS40-14 in ROS and plastid organization related regulatory networks of dark-induced senescence in rice

Dark-induced senescence triggers significant metabolic changes that recycle resources and ensure plant survival. In this study, we identified a transcription factor OsS40-14 in rice, which can form homo-oligomers. The oss40-14 knockout mutants exhibited stay-green phenotype of primary leaf and flag leaf during dark-induced condition, with substantial retention of chlorophylls and photosynthetic capacity as well as remarkably reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS), while OsS40-14 overexpressing transgenic lines (oeOsS40-14) showed an accelerated senescence phenotype under dark-induced leaf senescence conditions. Transcriptome analysis revealed that when the detached leaves of oss40-14 and WT were treated in darkness condition for 72 hours, 1585 DEGs (|Log2FC| [≥]1, P value<0.05) were reprogrammed in oss40-14 relative to WT. CUT&Tag-seq analysis in protoplast transient expression of OsS40-14 system showed that OsS40-14 was 40.95% enriched in the transcription start site (TSS) of the genome. Sequence clustering analysis showed that OsS40-14 protein was mainly enriched and bound to TACCCACAAGACAC conserved elements. The seed region "ACCCA" of OsS40 proteins was identified by single nucleotide mutagenesis EMSA. The integrative analysis of transcriptome and CUT&Tag-seq datasets showed 153 OsS40-14-targeted DEGs, they mainly enriched in plastid organization and photosynthesis process at dark-induced condition in oss40-14 relative to WT. Among them, eleven candidate targets of OsS40-14 such as Glucose 6-phosphate/phosphate translocator, Na+/H+ antiporter, Catalase, Chitinase 2, Phosphate transporter 19, OsWAK32, and OsRLCK319 were directly targeted and upregulated confirmed by ChIP-PCR and RT-qPCR. It demonstrates a novel model of OsS40-14 mediating macromolecule metabolism and nutrient recycling controls the plastid organization during dark-induced leaf senescence. Significant statementInvolvement of OsS40-14 in macromolecule catabolism, nutrient recycling, and ROS homeostasis revealed a plastid organization defection of dark-induced senescence in rice

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Random Sanitization in DNA information storage using CRISPR-Cas12a

DNA information storage provides an excellent solution for metadata storage due to its high density, programmability, and long-term stability. However, current research in DNA storage primarily focuses on the processes of storing and reading data, lacking comprehensive solutions for the secure metadata wiping. Herein, we present a method of random sanitization in DNA information storage using CRISPR-Cas12a (RSDISC) based on precise control of the thermodynamic energy of primer-template hybridization. We utilize the collateral cleavage (trans-activity) of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) by CRISPR-Cas12a to achieve selective sanitization of files in metadata. This method enables ssDNA degradation with different GC content, lengths, and secondary structures to achieve a sanitization efficiency up to 99.9% for 28,258 oligonucleotides in DNA storage within one round. We demonstrate that the number of erasable files could reach 1011.7 based on a model of primer-template hybridization efficiency. Overall, RSDISC provides a random sanitization approach to set the foundation of information encryption, file classification, memory deallocation and accurate reading in DNA data storage.

synthetic biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Cryo-EM structures of {rho}1 GABA(A) receptors with antagonist and agonist drugs

The family of {rho}-type GABAA receptors includes potential therapeutic targets in several neurological conditions, and features distinctive pharmacology compared to other subtypes. Here we combine structures, recordings and simulations to characterize the binding and conformational impact of the drugs THIP (a non-opioid analgesic), CGP36742 (phosphinic acid inhibitor) and GABOB (an anticonvulsant) on a human {rho}1 GABAA receptor. We identify a distinctive binding pose of THIP in {rho}1 versus neuronal 4{beta}3{delta} GABAA receptors, offering a rationale for its inverse effects on these subtypes. CGP36742 binding is similar to the canonical {rho}-type inhibitor TPMPA, supporting a shared mechanism of action among phosphinic acid inhibitors. Binding of GABOB is similar to that of GABA, but produces a mixture of primed and desensitized states, likely underlying its weaker agonist activity. Together, these results elucidate interactions of a {rho}-type GABAA receptor with therapeutic drugs, offering mechanistic insights and a prospective basis for further pharmaceutical development.

biophysics↗