{"gene":"TG_258470","gene_symbol":"IMC24","run_date":"2026-09-08T15:31:43+00:00","timeline":{"discoveries":[{"year":2015,"finding":"IMC24 was identified as a novel component of the Toxoplasma gondii inner membrane complex (IMC) using BioID proximity-dependent biotinylation, localizing to the IMC alveoli or cytoskeletal network subcompartment.","method":"BioID proximity-dependent biotin identification in T. gondii","journal":"mBio","confidence":"Medium","confidence_rationale":"Tier 2 / Weak — BioID is a solid proximity labeling approach, but IMC24 identification is from a single lab discovery screen without specific functional follow-up for this protein individually","pmids":["25691595"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Toxoplasma gondii","strain":""}]},{"year":2025,"finding":"IMC24 is a cytoskeletal IMC protein that directly binds to IMT1, a protein that tethers the inner membrane complex to subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs), placing IMC24 at the interface of two key structural elements of the parasite pellicle.","method":"Direct binding demonstrated by deletion analyses, mutagenesis, and proximity labeling (BioID) of IMT1 interactors; IMC24 identified as a direct binding partner of IMT1 along with IMC1 and IMC18","journal":"Molecular biology of the cell","confidence":"Medium","confidence_rationale":"Tier 2 / Moderate — reciprocal proximity labeling plus deletion/mutagenesis analyses in a single lab study demonstrating direct binding interaction","pmids":["40768331"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Toxoplasma gondii","strain":""}]}],"current_model":"IMC24 is a cytoskeletal inner membrane complex (IMC) protein in Toxoplasma gondii that directly binds IMT1, a bridging protein that tethers the IMC cytoskeleton to the underlying subpellicular microtubules, thereby contributing to the structural organization of the parasite pellicle."},"narrative":{"mechanistic_narrative":"IMC24 is a cytoskeletal component of the inner membrane complex (IMC) of Toxoplasma gondii, contributing to the structural organization of the parasite pellicle [PMID:25691595]. It was first identified by BioID proximity labeling as a novel IMC protein localizing to the alveolar/cytoskeletal network subcompartment [PMID:25691595]. Mechanistically, IMC24 directly binds IMT1, a bridging protein that tethers the IMC cytoskeleton to the underlying subpellicular microtubules, placing IMC24 at the interface between these two structural elements of the pellicle [PMID:40768331]. Beyond this tethering interaction, no further functional detail for IMC24 has been characterized in the available corpus.","teleology":[{"year":2015,"claim":"Establishing which proteins constitute the Toxoplasma IMC was needed to define the parasite's cytoskeletal architecture; IMC24 was newly assigned to the IMC as a component of the alveolar/cytoskeletal network.","evidence":"BioID proximity-dependent biotin identification in T. gondii","pmids":["25691595"],"confidence":"Medium","gaps":["No individual functional characterization of IMC24 was performed","The precise binding partners and molecular role were not defined","Contribution to parasite viability or morphology not tested"],"attribution":[{"species":"Toxoplasma gondii","strain":""}]},{"year":2025,"claim":"How the IMC cytoskeleton connects to subpellicular microtubules was unresolved; IMC24 was shown to directly bind the tethering protein IMT1, positioning it at the IMC–microtubule interface.","evidence":"Reciprocal BioID of IMT1 interactors combined with deletion and mutagenesis analyses in T. gondii, identifying IMC24 as a direct IMT1 binding partner alongside IMC1 and IMC18","pmids":["40768331"],"confidence":"Medium","gaps":["The binding interface/domain of IMC24 mediating IMT1 contact is not mapped","The functional consequence of disrupting the IMC24–IMT1 interaction is not established","Single-lab study without independent reciprocal validation of the direct binding"],"attribution":[{"species":"Toxoplasma gondii","strain":""}]},{"year":null,"claim":"The functional requirement of IMC24 for pellicle integrity, parasite replication, and its structural mechanism at the IMC–microtubule interface remain to be determined.","evidence":"","pmids":[],"confidence":"Medium","gaps":["No loss-of-function phenotype for IMC24 reported","No structural model of IMC24 or its IMT1-binding region","Timing of IMC24 recruitment during pellicle biogenesis is unknown"],"attribution":[{"species":"Toxoplasma gondii","strain":""}]}],"mechanism_profile":{"molecular_activity":[],"localization":[],"pathway":[],"complexes":[],"partners":["IMT1","IMC1","IMC18"],"other_free_text":["IMC24 localizes to the IMC alveoli/cytoskeletal network subcompartment of the T. gondii pellicle [#0]","IMC24 sits at the interface between the IMC cytoskeleton and subpellicular microtubules via direct binding to the tethering protein IMT1 [#1]"]},"strain_conflicts":[]},"prefetch_data":{},"corpus_meta":[{"pmid":"25691595","id":"PMC_25691595","title":"Novel components of the Toxoplasma inner membrane complex revealed by BioID.","date":"2015","source":"mBio","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25691595","citation_count":148,"is_preprint":false},{"pmid":"40768331","id":"PMC_40768331","title":"Function and interactions of a protein bridge between the inner membrane complex and subpellicular microtubules in Toxoplasma gondii.","date":"2025","source":"Molecular biology of the cell","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40768331","citation_count":2,"is_preprint":false}],"cost":{"stage1":{"model":"claude-sonnet-4-6","input_tokens":3494,"output_tokens":578,"usd":0.009576,"stage1_stop_reason":"end_turn"},"stage2":{"model":"claude-opus-4-8","input_tokens":5282,"output_tokens":1450,"usd":0.03133,"stage2_stop_reason":"end_turn"},"total_usd":0.0,"stage1_batch_id":"msgbatch_01WgHz6kceqm573AGLyz57at","stage2_batch_id":"msgbatch_01LK4wDYj5zYquahv7gi9893","note":"batch pricing = 50% of standard","skipped":true},"stage1_raw":"```json\n{\n  \"discoveries\": [\n    {\n      \"year\": 2015,\n      \"finding\": \"IMC24 was identified as a novel component of the Toxoplasma gondii inner membrane complex (IMC) using BioID proximity-dependent biotinylation, localizing to the IMC alveoli or cytoskeletal network subcompartment.\",\n      \"method\": \"BioID proximity-dependent biotin identification in T. gondii\",\n      \"journal\": \"mBio\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 2 / Weak — BioID is a solid proximity labeling approach, but IMC24 identification is from a single lab discovery screen without specific functional follow-up for this protein individually\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"25691595\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2025,\n      \"finding\": \"IMC24 is a cytoskeletal IMC protein that directly binds to IMT1, a protein that tethers the inner membrane complex to subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs), placing IMC24 at the interface of two key structural elements of the parasite pellicle.\",\n      \"method\": \"Direct binding demonstrated by deletion analyses, mutagenesis, and proximity labeling (BioID) of IMT1 interactors; IMC24 identified as a direct binding partner of IMT1 along with IMC1 and IMC18\",\n      \"journal\": \"Molecular biology of the cell\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 2 / Moderate — reciprocal proximity labeling plus deletion/mutagenesis analyses in a single lab study demonstrating direct binding interaction\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"40768331\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    }\n  ],\n  \"current_model\": \"IMC24 is a cytoskeletal inner membrane complex (IMC) protein in Toxoplasma gondii that directly binds IMT1, a bridging protein that tethers the IMC cytoskeleton to the underlying subpellicular microtubules, thereby contributing to the structural organization of the parasite pellicle.\"\n}\n```","stage2_raw":"```json\n{\n  \"mechanistic_narrative\": \"IMC24 is a cytoskeletal component of the inner membrane complex (IMC) of Toxoplasma gondii, contributing to the structural organization of the parasite pellicle [#0]. It was first identified by BioID proximity labeling as a novel IMC protein localizing to the alveolar/cytoskeletal network subcompartment [#0]. Mechanistically, IMC24 directly binds IMT1, a bridging protein that tethers the IMC cytoskeleton to the underlying subpellicular microtubules, placing IMC24 at the interface between these two structural elements of the pellicle [#1]. Beyond this tethering interaction, no further functional detail for IMC24 has been characterized in the available corpus.\",\n  \"teleology\": [\n    {\n      \"year\": 2015,\n      \"claim\": \"Establishing which proteins constitute the Toxoplasma IMC was needed to define the parasite's cytoskeletal architecture; IMC24 was newly assigned to the IMC as a component of the alveolar/cytoskeletal network.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"BioID proximity-dependent biotin identification in T. gondii\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"25691595\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"No individual functional characterization of IMC24 was performed\",\n        \"The precise binding partners and molecular role were not defined\",\n        \"Contribution to parasite viability or morphology not tested\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2025,\n      \"claim\": \"How the IMC cytoskeleton connects to subpellicular microtubules was unresolved; IMC24 was shown to directly bind the tethering protein IMT1, positioning it at the IMC–microtubule interface.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"Reciprocal BioID of IMT1 interactors combined with deletion and mutagenesis analyses in T. gondii, identifying IMC24 as a direct IMT1 binding partner alongside IMC1 and IMC18\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"40768331\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"The binding interface/domain of IMC24 mediating IMT1 contact is not mapped\",\n        \"The functional consequence of disrupting the IMC24–IMT1 interaction is not established\",\n        \"Single-lab study without independent reciprocal validation of the direct binding\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": null,\n      \"claim\": \"The functional requirement of IMC24 for pellicle integrity, parasite replication, and its structural mechanism at the IMC–microtubule interface remain to be determined.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"\",\n      \"pmids\": [],\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"No loss-of-function phenotype for IMC24 reported\",\n        \"No structural model of IMC24 or its IMT1-binding region\",\n        \"Timing of IMC24 recruitment during pellicle biogenesis is unknown\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    }\n  ],\n  \"mechanism_profile\": {\n    \"molecular_activity\": [\n      {\"term_id\": \"GO:0005515\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [1], \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]}\n    ],\n    \"localization\": [\n      {\"term_id\": \"GO:0070258\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [0, 1], \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Toxoplasma gondii\", \"strain\": \"\"}]}\n    ],\n    \"pathway\": [],\n    \"complexes\": [],\n    \"partners\": [\"IMT1\", \"IMC1\", \"IMC18\"],\n    \"other_free_text\": [\n      \"IMC24 localizes to the IMC alveoli/cytoskeletal network subcompartment of the T. gondii pellicle [#0]\",\n      \"IMC24 sits at the interface between the IMC cytoskeleton and subpellicular microtubules via direct binding to the tethering protein IMT1 [#1]\"\n    ]\n  },\n  \"strain_conflicts\": []\n}\n```","audit_flag":null,"strains":[{"strain":"ME49","gene_id":"TGME49_258470","name":"IMC24","product":"inner membrane complex protein IMC24","uniprot_acc":"A0A125YLP9","chromosome":"TGME49_chrVIIb","start_pos":3404253},{"strain":"GT1","gene_id":"TGGT1_258470","name":null,"product":"hypothetical protein","uniprot_acc":null,"chromosome":"TGGT1_chrVIIb","start_pos":3369823},{"strain":"RH88","gene_id":"TGRH88_071610","name":null,"product":"unspecified product","uniprot_acc":null,"chromosome":"CM023089","start_pos":3429798},{"strain":"VEG","gene_id":"TGVEG_258470","name":null,"product":"hypothetical protein","uniprot_acc":"B9PL40","chromosome":"TGVEG_chrVIIb","start_pos":3422378}]}