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Source ontology files for the Gene Ontology
http://geneontology.org/page/download-ontology
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Process or phenotype? 'synaptic multiplicity (development)' #16002

Closed BarbaraCzub closed 6 years ago

BarbaraCzub commented 6 years ago

I have come across the term 'synaptic multiplicity', while annotating PMID:24487234, which shows that mice lacking Cx3cr1 contain significantly fewer multisynapse boutons (MSBs) than wild-type mice, which manifests itself as a deficit in 'synaptic multiplicity' in adulthood.

But should synaptic multiplicity formation be considered a developmental process, or is synaptic multiplicity (or here: its deficit) a phenotype?

A new BP term 'synaptic multiplicity development' could potentially by defined as: 'A postnatal developmental process, modulated by microglia-mediated synaptic pruning essential for proper neural circuit maturation, during which two neurons initially connect through a single synapse and add more connections over time to form multiple spine synapses'.

Could someone please share their thoughts on this? @Pimmelorus, perhaps you'd be able to comment on this?

Thanks, Barbara

cc: @RLovering @paolaroncaglia @rachhuntley

pvannierop commented 6 years ago

@BarbaraCzub To be honest, I have never heard of MSBs or synapse multiplicity before. As I read the paper, synaptic multiplicity (SM) represents the extent to which a single presynaptic terminal forms synapses with different dendritic spines. High SM is observed at an immature developmental stage of the neuronal network:

These findings show that a transient reduction in microglia results in a long-term deficit in synaptic multiplicity despite normal excitatory synapse number and suggest that there is a critical window during which microglia-mediated synaptic pruning is essential for proper circuit maturation.

I would not consider 'SM development' a BP term since SM is a proxy for the development of the neuronal circuitry driven by synapse pruning.

BarbaraCzub commented 6 years ago

Hi @Pimmelorus, thank you for your feedback. Could you also please comment on 'functional connectivity'? I suppose that similarly to your conclusion regarding 'synaptic multiplicity', you would not consider 'functional connectivity' a process either, because it is also a reflection of more specific underlying processes?

Thanks, Barbara

pvannierop commented 6 years ago

I suppose that similarly to your conclusion regarding 'synaptic multiplicity', you would not consider 'functional connectivity' a process either

No, indeed. It is a trait with different phenotypes, not a process.

BarbaraCzub commented 6 years ago

Thank you!