biostudies-literatureEngelberg KAmerican Heart AssociationNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNIAID NIH HHSNational Science Foundatione0138925https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12421850biostudies-literatureUnknown16(9)One of the defining features of apicomplexan parasites is their cytoskeleton composed of alveolar vesicles, known as the inner membrane complex (IMC) undergirded by an intermediate filament-like protein network and an array of subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs). In <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>, this specialized cytoskeleton is involved in all aspects of the disease-causing lytic cycle and notably acts as a scaffold for parasite offspring in the internal budding process. Despite advances in our understanding of the architecture and molecular composition, insights pertaining to the coordinated assembly of the scaffold are still largely elusive. Here, <i>T. gondii</i> tachyzoites were dissected by advanced, iterative expansion microscopy (pan-expansion microscopy), revealing new insights into themBioCo-dependent formation of the &lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma gondii&lt;/i&gt; subpellicular microtubules and inner membrane skeleton.PMC124218501014105R01 AI1523871626072R21AI171821, R21AI180525R21 AI180525R01AI152387R21 AI171821Gubbels M-JFerguson DJPEngelberg KBauwens CfalseCo-dependent formation of the &lt;i&gt;Toxoplasma gondii&lt;/i&gt; subpellicular microtubules and inner membrane skeleton.One of the defining features of apicomplexan parasites is their cytoskeleton composed of alveolar vesicles, known as the inner membrane complex (IMC) undergirded by an intermediate filament-like protein network and an array of subpellicular microtubules (SPMTs). In <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i>, this specialized cytoskeleton is involved in all aspects of the disease-causing lytic cycle and notably acts as a scaffold for parasite offspring in the internal budding process. Despite advances in our understanding of the architecture and molecular composition, insights pertaining to the coordinated assembly of the scaffold are still largely elusive. Here, <i>T. gondii</i> tachyzoites were dissected by advanced, iterative expansion microscopy (pan-expansion microscopy), revealing new insights into the2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Sep2026-06-02T20:23:55.616Z2026-04-20T03:10:19.791ZS-EPMC124218504080152510.1128/mbio.01389-25