autocrine/paracrine signalling

[gocentral]

I know nothing on this subject but, should we have terms for autocrine and paracrine signalling or do we have something already for this? I've come across several growth factors which are stated to be autocrine or paracrine growth factors (e.g. PMID:7706296), so should they come under signal transduction or growth factor activity or both?

Definitions from biology-online.org;

autocrine

(Science: endocrinology) Secretion of a substance, such as a growth factor, that stimulates the secretory cell itself. One route to independence of growth control is by autocrine growth factor production.

paracrine

(Science: endocrinology) Form of signalling in which the target cell is close to the signal releasing cell. Neurotransmitters and neurohormones are usually considered to fall into this category.

Thanks, Rachael.

Reported by: rachhuntley

Original Ticket: "geneontology/ontology-requests/3120":https://sourceforge.net/p/geneontology/ontology-requests/3120

[gocentral]

Logged In: YES user_id=631592

Hi Rachael,

Since the def of cell-cell signaling specifies one cell to another, I think paracrine signalling actually fits our definition of cell-cell signaling. I think we might want to have autocrine signaling as an is_a child of cell communication.

I also have a problem with hormone secretion being an is_a cell-cell signaling. It seems to me that it is a part of hormonal signaling.

David

Original comment by: ukemi

[gocentral]

Logged In: YES user_id=1375277

Hi David,

That makes sense, perhaps then Paracrine signalling can be made a synonym of cell-cell signalling. As for hormone secretion I don't know whether it should be part of hormone-mediated signaling, since the definition of the latter is for detection of a hormone, not a series of signals resulting in hormone secretion - unless of course there are cases when detection of a hormone results in secretion of a hormone? Perhaps hormone secretion should be a parent of hormone-mediated signalling?

Rachael.

Original comment by: rachhuntley

[gocentral]

• assigned_to: nobody --> jenclark

Original comment by: mah11

[gocentral]

• assigned_to: jenclark --> beckyfoulger

Original comment by: jenclark

[gocentral]

• assigned_to: beckyfoulger --> rfoulger

Original comment by: rebeccafoulger

[gocentral]

Hi,

I've taken over this lingering SF item.

For the paracrine vs autocrine terms, the signaling part of the ontology has changed a bit since this SF item was opened.

Lots of dictionary definitions of paracrine state that the signaling is between close cells (though there's not a definitive answer for what counts as close). The Oxford dictionary of biochemistry and molecular biology just describes it a relating to signaling where there are separate target and signaling cells, which would fit exactly with cell-cell signaling ; GO:0007267

Therefore I'll make paracrine signaling a (narrower) synonym for GO:0007267, and I'll make a new term for autocrine signaling:

signaling --%autocrine signaling ; GO:NEW --%cell-cell signaling ; GO:0007267 (synonym = paracrine signaling)

cell communication ; GO:0007154 --%autocrine signaling ; GO:NEW --%cell-cell signaling ; GO:0007267 (synonym = paracrine signaling)

(I'd like to move cell communication out from under signaling, hence the double-parentage)

autocrine signaling ; GO:NEW Cell signaling whereby a signal binds to a receptor on, and exerts an effect on, the same cell in which it is produced.

---

the hormone secretion bit of the tree is currently:

cell-cell signaling ; GO:0007267 --<generation of a signal involved in cell-cell signaling ; GO:0003001 ----%hormone secretion ; GO:0046879

This is a TPV since hormones can act through autocrine signaling, so we need to relook at the children of GO:0003001.

I'll come back to the homone signaling bit.. it's on my agenda for the signaling conference call tomorrow to sort out when a pathway begins, and whether the pathway includes generation and transport of the signal (like you say- according to the definitions it currently doesn't, but we do have ligand generating terms under signaling pathways (patched ligand maturation ; GO:0007225 is under smoothened signaling pathway).

Becky

Original comment by: rebeccafoulger

[gocentral]

See also a more recent SF item on signal secretion:

https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=2975213&group\_id=36855&atid=440764

Original comment by: rebeccafoulger

[gocentral]

Thanks for doing this Becky, it has been a long time! Your solution sounds very sensible, I just have to figure out what I wanted it for!

Rachael.

Original comment by: rachhuntley

[gocentral]

I've added paracrine signaling as a synonym for cell-cell signaling ; GO:0007267.

Created new term: autocrine signaling ; GO:0035425

Have removed cell communication ; GO:0007154 as a child of signaling ; GO:0023052.

There's a SF item open about signal release https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=2975213&group\_id=36855&atid=440764 so any hormone comments can be added to that.

cheers, Becky

Original comment by: rebeccafoulger

[gocentral]

• status: open --> closed-accepted

Original comment by: rebeccafoulger