{"gene":"PF3D7_0704300","run_date":"2026-09-08T19:44:17","timeline":{"discoveries":[{"year":2022,"finding":"BLEB (PfBLEB, PF3D7_0704300) is a basal complex protein that is essential for gametocytogenesis in P. falciparum; parasites lacking PfBLEB exhibit defects in IMC expansion and fail to form mature gametocytes, demonstrating a role for a basal complex protein outside of asexual division.","method":"Inducible knockout / gene deletion with phenotypic analysis of IMC expansion and gametocyte maturation","journal":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America","confidence":"High","confidence_rationale":"Tier 2 / Moderate — clean loss-of-function with defined cellular phenotype (IMC expansion defect, failure to mature gametocytes), single lab but multiple phenotypic readouts","pmids":["35972967"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2022,"finding":"Proximity-dependent biotinylation using PfBLEB as bait in stage II–III gametocytes identified interacting proteins including established basal complex components and uncharacterized proteins, and revealed that BLEB does not interact with proteins typical of the asexual-stage basal complex during gametocyte formation; instead it associates with proteins shared between schizonts and gametocytes, suggesting involvement of a novel subcellular compartment.","method":"Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) proteomics","journal":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America","confidence":"Medium","confidence_rationale":"Tier 3 / Moderate — proximity-biotinylation interactome, single lab, single method; partner identity and compartment characterization not independently validated","pmids":["35972967"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2026,"finding":"Using expansion microscopy and DNA-PAINT super-resolution imaging, BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) was found to be associated with a distinct plasma membrane region that is excluded from daughter cells and linked to the basal complex, suggesting a role for this BLEB-associated membrane in daughter cell formation during asexual division.","method":"Expansion microscopy and DNA points accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (DNA-PAINT)","journal":"Science advances","confidence":"Medium","confidence_rationale":"Tier 2 / Moderate — super-resolution imaging with functional context, single lab, two orthogonal microscopy methods","pmids":["41706859"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2023,"finding":"BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) localizes to the basal complex as a ring structure in asexual schizonts; in PfPPP8-deficient parasites, BLEB-HaloTag rings become disorganized and fragmented, demonstrating that PfPPP8 is required for basal complex integrity and that BLEB can serve as a marker for basal complex structural integrity.","method":"HaloTag tagging of BLEB in PfPPP8-knockdown background; immunofluorescence assay and ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM)","journal":"Nature communications","confidence":"Medium","confidence_rationale":"Tier 2 / Moderate — direct localization with functional consequence in a defined genetic background, single lab, multiple microscopy methods","pmids":["37400439"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2022,"finding":"PfBLEB is dispensable for asexual replication in P. falciparum, as loss of PfBLEB does not impair asexual schizogony.","method":"Inducible knockout with monitoring of asexual growth","journal":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America","confidence":"Medium","confidence_rationale":"Tier 2 / Moderate — clean loss-of-function, single lab, defined negative phenotypic readout for asexual stage","pmids":["35972967"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2023,"finding":"PfBLEB proximity-dependent biotinylation in stage II–III gametocytes identified SPM3 (a novel subpellicular microtubule-associated protein) as part of the BLEB-proximal proteome, placing SPM3 in the spatial vicinity of the basal complex during early gametocytogenesis.","method":"Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) proteomics using PfBLEB as bait","journal":"mBio","confidence":"Low","confidence_rationale":"Tier 3 / Weak — single proximity-biotinylation experiment, single lab, no reciprocal validation of the BLEB–SPM3 interaction","pmids":["36625655"],"is_preprint":false,"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]}],"current_model":"BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) is a transmembrane basal complex protein in P. falciparum that localizes as a ring at the basal complex during asexual schizogony and is dispensable for asexual replication, but is essential for IMC expansion and maturation of transmission-stage gametocytes; super-resolution imaging further reveals that BLEB marks a distinct plasma membrane region excluded from daughter cells, and proximity-biotinylation shows it associates with a unique set of gametocyte-stage proteins distinct from the canonical asexual basal complex interactome."},"narrative":{"mechanistic_narrative":"BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) is a transmembrane basal complex protein of Plasmodium falciparum that localizes as a ring structure to the basal complex during asexual schizogony and functions specifically in the transition to transmission stages [PMID:35972967, PMID:37400439]. BLEB is dispensable for asexual replication, as its loss does not impair schizogony, but it is essential for gametocytogenesis: parasites lacking BLEB fail to expand the inner membrane complex (IMC) and cannot form mature gametocytes [PMID:35972967]. Its localization as a basal complex ring makes BLEB a marker of basal complex structural integrity, and this ring becomes disorganized and fragmented in PfPPP8-deficient parasites, placing BLEB downstream of PfPPP8-dependent basal complex assembly [PMID:37400439]. Super-resolution imaging further associates BLEB with a distinct plasma membrane region that is excluded from daughter cells and linked to the basal complex during asexual division [PMID:41706859]. Proximity-biotinylation using BLEB as bait shows that during gametocyte formation it associates with a set of proteins distinct from the canonical asexual basal complex interactome, marking a novel subcellular compartment [PMID:35972967]. Beyond these localization, interactome, and loss-of-function observations, the biochemical activity of BLEB itself has not been characterized in the available corpus.","teleology":[{"year":2022,"claim":"Established that a basal complex protein can have a role beyond asexual division by showing BLEB is required for sexual-stage development while being dispensable for asexual replication.","evidence":"Inducible knockout with phenotypic analysis of IMC expansion, gametocyte maturation, and asexual growth in P. falciparum","pmids":["35972967"],"confidence":"High","gaps":["Molecular mechanism by which BLEB drives IMC expansion is unresolved","Whether the IMC defect is a direct or downstream consequence of BLEB loss is unknown"],"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2022,"claim":"Addressed which molecular neighborhood BLEB occupies during gametocytogenesis, revealing it engages a distinct interactome rather than the canonical asexual basal complex proteins, implicating a novel compartment.","evidence":"Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) proteomics using BLEB as bait in stage II–III gametocytes","pmids":["35972967"],"confidence":"Medium","gaps":["Partner identities and the proposed novel compartment are not independently validated","No reciprocal Co-IP confirming specific interactions","Functional relevance of identified partners to BLEB activity untested"],"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2023,"claim":"Placed BLEB within the basal complex assembly hierarchy by using it as a structural readout, showing its ring organization depends on PfPPP8.","evidence":"HaloTag-tagged BLEB in a PfPPP8-knockdown background analyzed by IFA and U-ExM in P. falciparum","pmids":["37400439"],"confidence":"Medium","gaps":["Whether PfPPP8 acts directly on BLEB or on upstream scaffold components is unknown","The molecular determinants recruiting BLEB to the basal complex ring are undefined"],"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2023,"claim":"Extended the BLEB-proximal proteome to include a novel subpellicular microtubule-associated protein, spatially connecting the basal complex region to the microtubule cytoskeleton in early gametocytes.","evidence":"Proximity-dependent biotinylation using BLEB as bait, identifying SPM3, in stage II–III gametocytes","pmids":["36625655"],"confidence":"Low","gaps":["Single proximity-biotinylation experiment with no reciprocal validation of the BLEB–SPM3 association","Whether BLEB and SPM3 are in a functional complex is untested"],"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":2026,"claim":"Refined the subcellular assignment of BLEB, associating it with a plasma membrane region excluded from daughter cells during asexual division, implicating a role in daughter cell formation.","evidence":"Expansion microscopy and DNA-PAINT super-resolution imaging in P. falciparum","pmids":["41706859"],"confidence":"Medium","gaps":["Functional consequence of the BLEB-associated membrane for daughter cell formation not tested by perturbation","How this membrane region relates to the gametocyte-essential role is unresolved"],"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]},{"year":null,"claim":"The intrinsic molecular activity of BLEB and the mechanism linking its basal complex/membrane localization to IMC expansion during gametocytogenesis remain unknown.","evidence":"No discovery in the corpus assigns a biochemical function to BLEB or demonstrates a direct mechanistic pathway","pmids":[],"confidence":"Low","gaps":["No biochemical or enzymatic activity defined for BLEB","No structural model or membrane-topology determination","Direct effectors mediating IMC expansion not identified"],"attribution":[{"species":"Plasmodium falciparum","strain":""}]}],"mechanism_profile":{"molecular_activity":[],"localization":[],"pathway":[],"complexes":["basal complex (as a ring structure)"],"partners":["PFPPP8 (BLEB RING ORGANIZATION IS PFPPP8-DEPENDENT)","SPM3 (BLEB-PROXIMAL IN EARLY GAMETOCYTES; LOW CONFIDENCE, UNVALIDATED)"],"other_free_text":["Dispensable for asexual replication but essential for maturation of transmission-stage gametocytes","Gametocyte-stage BLEB interactome is distinct from the canonical asexual basal complex interactome, marking a putative novel compartment","Serves as a marker of basal complex structural integrity"]}},"prefetch_data":{},"corpus_meta":[{"pmid":"35972967","id":"PMC_35972967","title":"Identification of basal complex protein that is essential for maturation of transmission-stage malaria parasites.","date":"2022","source":"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35972967","citation_count":13,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["PfBLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"41706859","id":"PMC_41706859","title":"Transmembrane proteins mediate basal complex assembly and individual daughter cell formation in malaria parasites.","date":"2026","source":"Science advances","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41706859","citation_count":1,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"42001110","id":"","title":"Targeting protein-protein interactions in Plasmodium: from asexual replication to sexual development.","date":"2026","source":"Parasites & vectors","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42001110","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"41019501","id":"","title":"Malaria Cytoskeletal Proteins Require Alveolin-Alveolin Interactions for Differential Localization: Recruitment and Organization of Alveolin Proteins.","date":"2025","source":"Cellular microbiology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41019501","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"39915671","id":"","title":"PfFBXO1 is essential for inner membrane complex formation in Plasmodium falciparum during both asexual and transmission stages.","date":"2025","source":"Communications biology","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39915671","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"40117352","id":"","title":"SIP2 is the master transcription factor of Plasmodium merozoite formation.","date":"2025","source":"Science advances","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40117352","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"37400439","id":"","title":"A PPP-type pseudophosphatase is required for the maintenance of basal complex integrity in Plasmodium falciparum.","date":"2023","source":"Nature communications","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37400439","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"36625655","id":"","title":"A Microtubule-Associated Protein Is Essential for Malaria Parasite Transmission.","date":"2023","source":"mBio","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36625655","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"36744402","id":"","title":"An essential endoplasmic reticulum-resident N-acetyltransferase ortholog in Plasmodium falciparum.","date":"2023","source":"Journal of cell science","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36744402","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false},{"pmid":"105074","id":"","title":"Interaction between cytochalasin B-treated malarial parasites and erythrocytes. Attachment and junction formation.","date":"1979","source":"The Journal of experimental medicine","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/105074","citation_count":0,"is_preprint":false,"source_species":["Pf"],"role":"primary","match_terms":["BLEB"],"competing_organism_flag":false,"competing_organism_match":"","competing_organism_only":false}],"cost":{"stage1":{"model":"claude-sonnet-4-6","input_tokens":11710,"output_tokens":1624,"usd":0.029745,"stage1_stop_reason":"end_turn"},"stage2":{"model":"claude-opus-4-8","input_tokens":6680,"output_tokens":2553,"usd":0.048613,"stage2_stop_reason":"end_turn"},"total_usd":0.078358,"stage1_batch_id":"msgbatch_01SRp5hyRc82zNjddxyCCXGk","stage2_batch_id":"msgbatch_01K3BTmBazRo3pRrMvyaPMTY","note":"batch pricing = 50% of standard"},"stage1_raw":"```json\n{\n  \"discoveries\": [\n    {\n      \"year\": 2022,\n      \"finding\": \"BLEB (PfBLEB, PF3D7_0704300) is a basal complex protein that is essential for gametocytogenesis in P. falciparum; parasites lacking PfBLEB exhibit defects in IMC expansion and fail to form mature gametocytes, demonstrating a role for a basal complex protein outside of asexual division.\",\n      \"method\": \"Inducible knockout / gene deletion with phenotypic analysis of IMC expansion and gametocyte maturation\",\n      \"journal\": \"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America\",\n      \"confidence\": \"High\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 2 / Moderate — clean loss-of-function with defined cellular phenotype (IMC expansion defect, failure to mature gametocytes), single lab but multiple phenotypic readouts\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"35972967\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2022,\n      \"finding\": \"Proximity-dependent biotinylation using PfBLEB as bait in stage II–III gametocytes identified interacting proteins including established basal complex components and uncharacterized proteins, and revealed that BLEB does not interact with proteins typical of the asexual-stage basal complex during gametocyte formation; instead it associates with proteins shared between schizonts and gametocytes, suggesting involvement of a novel subcellular compartment.\",\n      \"method\": \"Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) proteomics\",\n      \"journal\": \"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 3 / Moderate — proximity-biotinylation interactome, single lab, single method; partner identity and compartment characterization not independently validated\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"35972967\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2026,\n      \"finding\": \"Using expansion microscopy and DNA-PAINT super-resolution imaging, BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) was found to be associated with a distinct plasma membrane region that is excluded from daughter cells and linked to the basal complex, suggesting a role for this BLEB-associated membrane in daughter cell formation during asexual division.\",\n      \"method\": \"Expansion microscopy and DNA points accumulation for imaging in nanoscale topography (DNA-PAINT)\",\n      \"journal\": \"Science advances\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 2 / Moderate — super-resolution imaging with functional context, single lab, two orthogonal microscopy methods\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"41706859\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2023,\n      \"finding\": \"BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) localizes to the basal complex as a ring structure in asexual schizonts; in PfPPP8-deficient parasites, BLEB-HaloTag rings become disorganized and fragmented, demonstrating that PfPPP8 is required for basal complex integrity and that BLEB can serve as a marker for basal complex structural integrity.\",\n      \"method\": \"HaloTag tagging of BLEB in PfPPP8-knockdown background; immunofluorescence assay and ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM)\",\n      \"journal\": \"Nature communications\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 2 / Moderate — direct localization with functional consequence in a defined genetic background, single lab, multiple microscopy methods\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"37400439\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2022,\n      \"finding\": \"PfBLEB is dispensable for asexual replication in P. falciparum, as loss of PfBLEB does not impair asexual schizogony.\",\n      \"method\": \"Inducible knockout with monitoring of asexual growth\",\n      \"journal\": \"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 2 / Moderate — clean loss-of-function, single lab, defined negative phenotypic readout for asexual stage\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"35972967\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2023,\n      \"finding\": \"PfBLEB proximity-dependent biotinylation in stage II–III gametocytes identified SPM3 (a novel subpellicular microtubule-associated protein) as part of the BLEB-proximal proteome, placing SPM3 in the spatial vicinity of the basal complex during early gametocytogenesis.\",\n      \"method\": \"Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) proteomics using PfBLEB as bait\",\n      \"journal\": \"mBio\",\n      \"confidence\": \"Low\",\n      \"confidence_rationale\": \"Tier 3 / Weak — single proximity-biotinylation experiment, single lab, no reciprocal validation of the BLEB–SPM3 interaction\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"36625655\"],\n      \"is_preprint\": false,\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    }\n  ],\n  \"current_model\": \"BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) is a transmembrane basal complex protein in P. falciparum that localizes as a ring at the basal complex during asexual schizogony and is dispensable for asexual replication, but is essential for IMC expansion and maturation of transmission-stage gametocytes; super-resolution imaging further reveals that BLEB marks a distinct plasma membrane region excluded from daughter cells, and proximity-biotinylation shows it associates with a unique set of gametocyte-stage proteins distinct from the canonical asexual basal complex interactome.\"\n}\n```","stage2_raw":"{\n  \"mechanistic_narrative\": \"BLEB (PF3D7_0704300) is a transmembrane basal complex protein of Plasmodium falciparum that localizes as a ring structure to the basal complex during asexual schizogony and functions specifically in the transition to transmission stages [#0, #3]. BLEB is dispensable for asexual replication, as its loss does not impair schizogony, but it is essential for gametocytogenesis: parasites lacking BLEB fail to expand the inner membrane complex (IMC) and cannot form mature gametocytes [#0, #4]. Its localization as a basal complex ring makes BLEB a marker of basal complex structural integrity, and this ring becomes disorganized and fragmented in PfPPP8-deficient parasites, placing BLEB downstream of PfPPP8-dependent basal complex assembly [#3]. Super-resolution imaging further associates BLEB with a distinct plasma membrane region that is excluded from daughter cells and linked to the basal complex during asexual division [#2]. Proximity-biotinylation using BLEB as bait shows that during gametocyte formation it associates with a set of proteins distinct from the canonical asexual basal complex interactome, marking a novel subcellular compartment [#1]. Beyond these localization, interactome, and loss-of-function observations, the biochemical activity of BLEB itself has not been characterized in the available corpus.\",\n  \"teleology\": [\n    {\n      \"year\": 2022,\n      \"claim\": \"Established that a basal complex protein can have a role beyond asexual division by showing BLEB is required for sexual-stage development while being dispensable for asexual replication.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"Inducible knockout with phenotypic analysis of IMC expansion, gametocyte maturation, and asexual growth in P. falciparum\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"35972967\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"High\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"Molecular mechanism by which BLEB drives IMC expansion is unresolved\",\n        \"Whether the IMC defect is a direct or downstream consequence of BLEB loss is unknown\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2022,\n      \"claim\": \"Addressed which molecular neighborhood BLEB occupies during gametocytogenesis, revealing it engages a distinct interactome rather than the canonical asexual basal complex proteins, implicating a novel compartment.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"Proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) proteomics using BLEB as bait in stage II–III gametocytes\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"35972967\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"Partner identities and the proposed novel compartment are not independently validated\",\n        \"No reciprocal Co-IP confirming specific interactions\",\n        \"Functional relevance of identified partners to BLEB activity untested\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2023,\n      \"claim\": \"Placed BLEB within the basal complex assembly hierarchy by using it as a structural readout, showing its ring organization depends on PfPPP8.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"HaloTag-tagged BLEB in a PfPPP8-knockdown background analyzed by IFA and U-ExM in P. falciparum\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"37400439\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"Whether PfPPP8 acts directly on BLEB or on upstream scaffold components is unknown\",\n        \"The molecular determinants recruiting BLEB to the basal complex ring are undefined\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2023,\n      \"claim\": \"Extended the BLEB-proximal proteome to include a novel subpellicular microtubule-associated protein, spatially connecting the basal complex region to the microtubule cytoskeleton in early gametocytes.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"Proximity-dependent biotinylation using BLEB as bait, identifying SPM3, in stage II–III gametocytes\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"36625655\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"Low\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"Single proximity-biotinylation experiment with no reciprocal validation of the BLEB–SPM3 association\",\n        \"Whether BLEB and SPM3 are in a functional complex is untested\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": 2026,\n      \"claim\": \"Refined the subcellular assignment of BLEB, associating it with a plasma membrane region excluded from daughter cells during asexual division, implicating a role in daughter cell formation.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"Expansion microscopy and DNA-PAINT super-resolution imaging in P. falciparum\",\n      \"pmids\": [\"41706859\"],\n      \"confidence\": \"Medium\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"Functional consequence of the BLEB-associated membrane for daughter cell formation not tested by perturbation\",\n        \"How this membrane region relates to the gametocyte-essential role is unresolved\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    },\n    {\n      \"year\": null,\n      \"claim\": \"The intrinsic molecular activity of BLEB and the mechanism linking its basal complex/membrane localization to IMC expansion during gametocytogenesis remain unknown.\",\n      \"evidence\": \"No discovery in the corpus assigns a biochemical function to BLEB or demonstrates a direct mechanistic pathway\",\n      \"pmids\": [],\n      \"confidence\": \"Low\",\n      \"gaps\": [\n        \"No biochemical or enzymatic activity defined for BLEB\",\n        \"No structural model or membrane-topology determination\",\n        \"Direct effectors mediating IMC expansion not identified\"\n      ],\n      \"attribution\": [{\"species\": \"Plasmodium falciparum\", \"strain\": \"\"}]\n    }\n  ],\n  \"mechanism_profile\": {\n    \"molecular_activity\": [],\n    \"localization\": [\n      {\"term_id\": \"basal complex\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [0, 3]},\n      {\"term_id\": \"plasma membrane region excluded from daughter cells\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [2]}\n    ],\n    \"pathway\": [\n      {\"term_id\": \"gametocytogenesis\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [0]},\n      {\"term_id\": \"inner membrane complex expansion\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [0]},\n      {\"term_id\": \"daughter cell formation during asexual division\", \"supporting_discovery_ids\": [2]}\n    ],\n    \"complexes\": [\n      \"basal complex (as a ring structure)\"\n    ],\n    \"partners\": [\n      \"PfPPP8 (BLEB ring organization is PfPPP8-dependent)\",\n      \"SPM3 (BLEB-proximal in early gametocytes; Low confidence, unvalidated)\"\n    ],\n    \"other_free_text\": [\n      \"Dispensable for asexual replication but essential for maturation of transmission-stage gametocytes\",\n      \"Gametocyte-stage BLEB interactome is distinct from the canonical asexual basal complex interactome, marking a putative novel compartment\",\n      \"Serves as a marker of basal complex structural integrity\"\n    ]\n  }\n}","audit_flag":null,"strains":[{"strain":"Pf3D7","gene_id":"PF3D7_0704300","name":null,"product":"basal complex protein BLEB","uniprot_acc":null,"chromosome":null,"start_pos":null},{"strain":"PbANKA","gene_id":"PBANKA_0802000","name":null,"product":"conserved Plasmodium protein, unknown function","uniprot_acc":null,"chromosome":null,"start_pos":null},{"strain":"PkH","gene_id":"PKNH_0102500","name":null,"product":"basal complex protein BLEB, putative","uniprot_acc":null,"chromosome":null,"start_pos":null}],"gene_symbol":"BLEB","evaluation":null}