Initiation of signal transduction

Current Term

[Term]
id: GO:0023036
name: initiation of signal transduction
namespace: biological_process
def: "The process in which a signal causes activation of a receptor, for example, via a conformation change." [GOC:mtg_sig]
comment: Note that this term is intended for the annotation of both ligands and receptors.
synonym: "signal reception" RELATED []
is_a: GO:0009987 ! cellular process
relationship: part_of GO:0007165 ! signal transduction
creation_date: 2010-02-16T09:30:50Z

Problems with the current term

• The comment states that the term can be used to annotate both ligands and receptors, however many of the children terms (E.g. initiation of signal transduction by mechanical effect) cover cases where the ligand is not a gene product.

• The definition is more geared to annotation of ligands rather than receptors.

• The definition does not state where initiation of signal transduction ends. At the February 2011 signaling workshop, we asked whether initiation of signal transduction ends with an activated receptor, or when an activated receptor has passed the signal to the next signaling molecule.

• With the addition of links between the function terms: 'receptor activity ; GO:0004872' and 'receptor agonist activity ; GO:0048018' and the process term 'signal transduction ; GO:0007165' a grouping term in process is not particularly useful.

Proposal Overview

• OBSOLETE 'initiation of signal transduction ; GO:0023036 and it's children.
• REPLACE the existing annotations

Existing annotations

The low number of annotations to these terms agrees with the concern that the terms are confusing and poorly defined. Annotations are as follows:

initiation of signal transduction ; GO:0023036	                    (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by diffusible mediator ; GO:0023038	            (0 direct annotations)
initiation of adrenergic receptor signal transduction ; GO:0071876 (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by amino acid ; GO:0023006	                    (20 ISS and IMP annotations from UniProt for glutamate receptors)
signal initiation by chemical mediator ; GO:0023047	            (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by lipid mediator ; GO:0023048                   (1 BHF-UCL)
signal initiation by neurotransmitter ; GO:0023005                 (4 annotations: 1 EA Ensembl, 3 manual BHF-UCL to purinoreceptors)
activation of dopamine receptor signaling pathway ; GO:0023004	    (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by protein/peptide mediator ; GO:0023049	    (0 direct annotations)
initiation of Roundabout signal transduction ; GO:0035555	    (1 annotation: BHF-UCL to SLIT2)
initiation of T cell receptor signaling ; GO:0023009	            (0 direct annotations)
initiation of T cell receptor signaling by binding of a MHC complex to T cell receptor ; GO:0023012	(0 direct annotations)
ligand binding to T cell receptor ; GO:0023007	                    (0 direct annotations)
positive regulation of initiation of T cell receptor signaling ; GO:0023011	(1 annotation: BHF-UCL)
regulation of initiation of T cell receptor signaling ; GO:0023010	        (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by peptide hormone ; GO:0023055	                        (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by light ; GO:0023037	                                (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by mechanical effect ; GO:0023053	                        (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by physical damage ; GO:0023039	                        (0 direct annotations)
signal initiation by stretch effect ; GO:0023054	                        (0 direct annotations)