New qualifier for indicating functional/circuit phenotypes in neurons

[dosumis]

It is currently not possible to distinguish between morphological and functional/circuit phenotypes in phenotypic class statements. Being able to do so would be useful to VFB (this was originally discussed early in the current VFB grant cycle - but seems to have never made it into a ticket).

This could potentially be achieved by add qualifiers to PC statements.

e.g. we might have the qualifier circuit phenotype for cases where manipulating that activity of one neuron changes the activity of another.

[Clare72]

How about this as a first draft?:
label: 'circuit phenotype'
is_a: 'cell non-autonomous'
def: 'A phenotypic effect that is apparent in a cell that is downstream in a circuit with the cell that is being experimentally manipulated.'
comment: 'This qualifier is usually used for experiments where one type of neuron is conditionally activated and a change in activity is measured in another type that was not directly activated.'

Outstanding questions:

• do we want to limit this to neurons or neurons and their inputs/outputs (e.g. muscle) or allow any cell types (e.g. hormonal signalling)?
• do we want to limit this to short-term conditional manipulations (rather than saying messing up development of cell X messes up the downstream cells)?
• do we want to restrict this to qualifying the 'neurophysiology defective' phenotype?

[gouttegd]

@dosumis Is this still relevant?

[dosumis]

unfortunately not.