POC Conf. Call 9-20-11

POC meeting, Webex Conference Call; Date: Tuesday Sept 20th, 2011 10am (PDT)

In attendance:

POC members:

Absent:

Collaborators: none

Acceptance of the minutes from the POC_Conf._Call_8-30-11?

Tech issues

these have been posted on the POC_Technical_Issues_Page

OWL version stamp

Request from Gavin Kennedy:

"Would it be possible to add an owl:versionInfo attribute to the OWL Plant Ontology so that we can track the changes in versions. This could be the version number or a date stamp, etc."

filter translation

from Mary Schaeffer at MaizeGDB

comments: It would help to have a link to what the filters mean from all pages where one can set the filters. A click on the help box seemed to missing this information, or require reading pages of stuff to find out it wasn't there.

For example - most folks will not know that MGCSC refers to the maize mutant stock collection at Illinois.

Edits to complete before release: PAO

Includes user requests open on Source Forge: PAO

Legume terms

phyllode

At an earlier meeting, we looked at examples of leaves where the petiole has phyllode development, but there is normal lamina development (with leaflets) beyond the petiole. We need a term to describe this, as well as when the whole leaf develops as a phyllode.

Background:

Boke 1940 (http://www.jstor.org/stable/2436690, DOI:10.2307/2436690) uses the term phyllode to refer only to those leaves without leaflets:

"The seedling usually displays 1 even-pinnate leaf, 1 bipinnate leaf, and several transition forms. Pinnate leaves and transition forms possess an apical pointlet like that of the phyllode."

The main reference people cite for phyllodes is: D.R. Kaplan 1980, Heteroblastic leaf development in Acacia: morphological and morphogenetic implications, La Cellule 73, pp. 137–203.

Kaplan say: "The present developmental comparisons between phyllodes and pinnatifid leaves in seedlings of Acacia have demonstrated unequivically that the blade of the phyllode is the longitudinal positional homologue of the lamina of the fully pinnate leaf, at all stages of development. At no stage is the phyllode blade merely a petiolar derivative, nor is there evidence of lamina suppression in favor of petiolar elaboration as suggested in the classical developmental paradigm."

Some more contemporary uses of the term phyllode:

Gardner et al. 2005 (http://www.publish.csiro.au/view/journals/dsp_journal_fulltext.cfm?nid=150&f=SB04052):

"A phyllode usually consists of a pulvinus and photosynthetic region, although it can be sessile, decurrent with the stem, or reduced to scales. The photosynthetic region is highly variable and ranges from vertically flattened, through terete, quadrangular and triquetrous to horizontally flattened. Phyllodes usually possess at least one extra-floral nectary on the adaxial nerve, and sometimes up to five. Boughton (1981, 1985) observed three types of extra-floral nectaries. She also investigated the indumentum and found almost all species have two kinds of trichomes, one glandular and one non-glandular (Boughton 1989). According to Arber (1918), the chief anatomical feature by which phyllodes differ from true leaf laminae is the occurrence of two opposing series of vascular bundles."

and later in the paper:

"Previous approaches, such as basic anatomy and inferences from the sequence of heteroblastic leaf development in acacias, have led researchers to state that the phyllode is homologous with the petiole of a bipinnate leaf (e.g. Mann 1894; Goebel 1905; Troll 1939), or with the petiole and rachis (e.g. Bentham 1875; Reinke 1897), and make comparisons with the monocotyledonous leaf. Investigating the developmental morphology of phyllodes, Kaplan (1980) proposed a new model: that the phyllode is actually the positional homologue of the lamina of a bipinnate leaf. In essence, this suggests that the phyllode is directly comparable to a simple leaf. Kaplan’s theory does not, however, address the issue of the opposing vascular bundles found in phyllodes.

"The pattern of branching observed in the vascular bundles of A. verniciflua phyllodes suggests that the abaxial marginal nerve is homologous to the mid-rib in a simple leaf. This implies that laminar expansion occurs on both sides of the ‘mid-rib’, but vertically, and fused together. The emergence of the adaxial marginal nerve as two separate bundles, originating on opposing sides that eventually fuse rather than directly from the vascular ring found in the pulvinus, supports our interpretation and has been observed (together with other patterns) in several other Acacia species (von Wartburg 1991)."

Leroy and Heuret 2007 (doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2007.11.006): "The subgenera Phyllodineae... as the species are characterised by a polymorphism of vegetative characters where bi-pinnate leaves are replaced by a type of foliar organ called a phyllode." and "...the different transitional forms range from pinnate leaves to phyllodes..."

See fig. 1 in this paper. They refer a "flattened petiole" and a "flattened rachis" in transitional leaves.

Yang et al. 2008 (DOI: 10.1007/s11240-008-9424-7) use leaf as synonym for phyllode in Acacia. Refer specifically to phyllodes without any pinnate (sic) on top of them.

Forster and Bonser 2009, Annals of Botany, use the term phyllode to refer to adult leaves without leaflets: "Acacia implexa (Mimosaceae) is a heteroblastic species that develops compound (juvenile), transitional and phyllode (adult) leaves that differ dramatically in form and function."

RW did not find any contemporary papers that said that a phyllode is a petiole.

Leaves that have phyllode-type development toward the base with leaflet development toward the tip are a type of transition leaf.

Unifacial leaf as synonym? No- not exactly the same, but similar development. See Kaplan 1970 (http://www.jstor.org/stable/2485311).

Proposed terms and definitions:

vascular leaf

>unifacial leaf

>>terete leaf (round in cross section)

>>ensiform leaf (flat in cross section)

>>>phyllode

unifacial leaf: A vascular leaf that has increased activity of either the adaxial or abaxial meristem early in development, leading to absence of the opposite surface on the leaf. (ref: Lawrence, Kaplan 1970 fig. 1, Sajo and Rudall 1999)

Comment: A unifacial leaf may be round in cross-section (terete) or it may be laminar (ensiform), in which case lamina development is in a median plane (perpendicular to the axis), rather than a transverse plane (tangent to the axis). Unifacial leaves may be bifacial at the leaf base. Many unifacial leaves develop by reduced (or absent) activity of the marginal meristems and increased activity of the adaxial meristem early in development, leading to mature leaves with only an adaxial surface (e.g., Acacia, most monocots?). However, some develop by increased activity of the abaxial meristem early in development, leading to mature leaves with only an abaxial surface.

RW: need to check and add references for all of these

terete leaf: A unifacial leaf that is round in cross section throughout all of part of the length of the leaf. (ref.: xxx)

Comment: The surface of a terete leaf corresponds to either the adaxial or abaxial surface of a normal leaf.

ensiform leaf: A unifacial leaf that is flat in cross section due to a lamina that develops in a median plane (perpendicular to the axis), rather a transverse plane (tangent to the axis) throughout all of part of the length of the leaf.(ref: Lawrence, Kaplan 1970 fig. 1, Sajo and Rudall 1999)

Comment: Common in many monocots and some dicots. Both surfaces of an ensiform leaf correspond to only one of either the adaxial or abaxial surface of a normal leaf. In some leaves, the petiole may twist, giving the appearance that the lamina is ensiform, but it is not.

RW: Maybe phyllode should just be a narrow synonym of ensiform leaf?

phyllode: An adult ensiform leaf with a lamina that develops in a median plane, rather a transverse plane throughout the length of the leaf and is a result of increased activity of the adaxial meristem early in develop.

Comment: Common in legumes of the genus Acacia. Similar development occurs in other ensiform leaves in some monocots, but they are not called phyllodes. Transitional leaves also occur, in which the basal portion of the leaf develops similar to a phyllode, but the apical portion of the leaf develops normal leaflets (see PO:xxxxxxx, phyllode-type transition leaf). Phyllodes are generally xeromorphic.

is_a ensiform leaf, is_a adult leaf

phyllode-type transition leaf: A transitional vascular leaf in which the basal portion of the leaf has unifacial lamina development in a median plane, similar to a phyllode, and the apical portion of the leaf develops leaflets similar to a juvenile leaf.

Comment: Common in seedlings of legumes of the genus Acacia. May also occur later, after the plant has begun to produce phyllodes.

is_a transitional leaf, is_a ensiform leaf

bristle

(used in key as "Stipules spinose or bristles"; might be thought of as a quality, rather than a structure)

At the meeting of RW, MAG and DWS on 8/29/11, we felt this would be better left as a phenotypic descriptor. Should add terms needed to PATO.

New children of calyptra perianth

This was raised at the POC meeting POC_Conf._Call_8-23-11

Existing terms:

• fruit operculum (PO:0025298): A collective organ part structure that is the apical part of a circumsessile capsular fruit that separates from the rest of the capsule during dehiscence. [source: POC:curators]

Comment: Develops from the apical portion of a gynoecium. Found in Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae.

and

• calyptra perianth (PO:0025299): A perianth that is composed of fused perianth parts and located on top of a gynoecium that contains an inferior ovary. [source: POC:curators]

Comment: May be composed of fused petals, sepals or tepals, but is generally formed from fused petals in Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae. Sometimes erroneously referred to as part of a fruit. Not the same structure as a spore capsule calyptra.

Synonyms: related: floral operculum; exact: angiosperm calyptra; exact: floral calyptra (suggest we add flower operculum as related and flower calyptra as exact)

Proposed changes: More specific terms for calyptra

At the 8/23/11 meeting, there was a request for more specific terms for calyptras formed of fused petals or fused sepals.

In Eucalyptus, there may be one or two calyptras: an inner operculum or calyptra composed of fused petals and an outer operculum or calyptra composed of fused sepals. In many species, the sepals to do not fuse, and there is no outer operculum.

Our current definition of calyptra perianth includes fused tepals, which would encompass the existing term "fused collective tepal structure" (PO:0025138), but to my knowledge, tepals are not present in Eucalyptus. (The ANBG provides EUCLID, an excellent resource for description of Eucatypus morphology.)

Suggest adding a new term "fused perianth", that is consistent with our other terms such as "fused collective tepal structure". This would be a more general term, and could include perianths that are partially fused.

Proposed new terms and ontology structure:

perianth

> fused perianth (new)

>> fused collective tepal structure (PO:0025138)

>> calyptra perianth (flower operculum) (PO:0025299)

>>> calyptra calyx (outer operculum) (new)

>>> calyptra corolla (inner operculum) (new)

• Should we also add terms for fused petal and fused sepal (already have fused tepal)?

terms and definitions

• fused perianth: A perianth that is composed of two or more fused perianth parts (sepals, petals or tepals).

Comment: Perianth parts may be partially or wholly fused.

• calyptra perianth (PO:0025299): A fused perianth that is composed of fused sepals or petals and located on top of a gynoecium that contains an inferior ovary.

Comment: Found in Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae. The petals are generally completely fused. Sometimes erroneously referred to as part of a fruit. Not the same structure as a spore capsule calyptra or fruit operculum. Use the more specific term (calytra corolla or calytra calyx) if possible. Species of the subgenus Monocalyptrus have only a calyptra corolla (inner operculum) while in most other species, a calyptra calyx is also present, at least early in flower development.

Synonyms: flower operculum, floral operculum, floral calyptra; angiosperm calyptra

• calyptra calyx: A calyptra perianth composed of fused sepals.

Comment: Sometimes found in Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae, covering an inner operculum or calyptra corolla. The sepals are generally completely fused.

Synonyms: outer operculum, calyx operculum

• calyptra corolla: A calyptra perianth composed of fused petals.

Comment: Often found in Eucalyptus and other Myrtaceae. The petals are generally completely fused. If an outer operculum (calyptra calyx) is present, it covers the inner operculum (calyptra corolla).

Synonyms: inner operculum, corolla operculum

• fused collective tepal structure (PO:0025138), calyptra calyx and calyptra corolla all have dual parentage (is_a fused perianth and is_a collective tepal structure, calyx, or corolla. If we were to import PATO:0000642 (fused with), we could make cross product definitions and infer one of the relations.

floret

floret is currently a synonym of flower (as decided at the [POC_Conf._Call_8-30-11]).

We could add a new term floret, is_a flower, part_of inflorescence. Def: A small flower that is part of an inflorescence.

Edits for release: PGDSO

Edits requested by MS for MaizeGDB

coleoptile emergence

From MS (MaizeGDB): It would be more useful for maize if the definition for coleoptile emergence PO:0007045 were altered to be: Emergence of coleoptile from the seed. (rather than above ground)

This could compare well to the radicle definition (PO:0007015 radicle emergence): The stage at which the radicle or root emerges from seed.

At the POC meeting on Sunday_Sept_11th,_2011, we agreed to keep the existing terms that reference emergence from the soil, but rename them as stages, and add new terms for emergence from seed coat. Need to copy over list of existing synonyms to new emergence terms.

Furthermore, shoot emergence is part_of seedling growth, but has no is_a parent, and seedling growth has no is_a parent. Imbibition (sibling of shoot emergence) also has no is_a parent.

current structure:

Shoot emergence (stage) should be is_a seedling growth (stage). Seedling growth (stage) should be is_a vegetative growth stage.

Imbitition (stage) should be is_a germination (stage). Will deal with definitions of imbibition and germination later.

current and proposed terms and definitions

0 germination (PO:0007057): rename "germination stage".

imbibition (PO:0007022): rename "imbibition stage" and make is_a child of "germination stage".

current: seedling growth (PO:0007131): Growth of embryo after imbibition up to the development of the first adult leaves. part_of germination

Seedling growth stage should begin after germination, not after imbibition. Imbibition is part of germination, and a seedling does not exist until after germination.

'new proposed name and def.: seedling development stage: A vegetative growth stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between germination and development of the first adult leaves.

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants, although non-seed plants may have a comparable phase during which they produce juvenile or transition leaves.

Note: After the PGDSO is revised, the parent of this term will be sporophyte vegetative development stage, so definition will change slightly. Also, the numbering of the children of vegetative growth stage is messed up now. Should we renumber the stages?

All of the terms below originally described a single point in time. We need to figure out when the shoot emergence stage should end.

current: shoot emergence (PO:0007030): Shoot or leaf breaks through the soil surface.

proposed: shoot emergence from growth medium development stage (PO:0007030): A seedling growth stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a part of a shoot system from the growth medium and ???.

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants.

proposed: shoot emergence from seed coat development stage (new number): A seedling growth stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a part of a shoot system from the seed coat and ???.

Comment: May occur simultaneously with shoot emergence form the growth medium. This terms is used only for seed plants.

current: coleoptile emergence (PO:0007045): Emergence of coleoptile above ground. [source: GR:ap, ISBN:3826331524]

proposed: coleoptile emergence from growth medium development stage (PO:0007045): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a coleoptile from the growth medium and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants.

proposed: coleoptile emergence from seed coat development stage (new number): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a coleoptile from the seed coat and ???

Comment: May occur simultaneously with coleoptile emergence form the growth medium. This terms is used only for seed plants.

current: cotyledon emergence (PO:0007049): Emergence of cotyledons above ground. [source: GR:ap, ISBN:3826331524]

proposed: cotyledon emergence from growth medium development stage (PO:0007049): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a cotyledon from the growth medium and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants. Cannot be used in plants with hypogeal germination.

proposed: cotyledon emergence from seed coat development stage (new number): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a cotyledon from the seed coat and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants. Cannot be used in plants with hypogeal germination. May occur simultaneously with cotyledon emergence form the growth medium.

current: epicotyl emergence (PO:0007054): Emergence of the epicotyl above ground. [source: GR:ap, ISBN:0306416875]

proposed: epicotyl emergence from growth medium development stage (PO:0007054): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of an epicotyl from the growth medium and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants. During this phase, only the first true foliage leaf or pair of leaves is visible. Occurs in plants with hypogeal germination.

proposed: epicotyl emergence from seed coat development stage (new number): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of an epicotyl from the seed coat and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants. During this phase, only the first true foliage leaf or pair of leaves is visible. Occurs in plants with hypogeal germination. May occur simultaneously with epicotyl emergence form the growth medium.

current: hypocotyl emergence (PO:0007043): Emergence of the hypocotyl above ground. [source: GR:ap, ISBN:0306416875]

proposed: hypocotyl emergence from growth medium development stage (PO:0007043): A shoot emergence stage has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a hypocotyl from the growth medium and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants. Occurs in plants with epigeal germination.

proposed: hypocotyl emergence from seed coat development stage (new number): A shoot emergence stage that has as a participant a whole plant during the interval between emergence of a hypocotyl from the seed coat and ???

Comment: This terms is used only for seed plants. Occurs in plants with epigeal germination. May occur simultaneously with hypocotyl emergence form the growth medium.

Could also add terms for feeder emergence for some gymnosperms.

For all of the above terms, need to check existing synonyms and move or copy them as needed.

5 fruit formation; FF.00 fruit size 10%

Initial Comment from MS:

"There are currently five stages based on size of final fruit, starting at 10%, etc. There is not any term for very early stage and 10% is already pretty far along from a developmental biology view. Since there seem to be no annotations for any of these stages, suggest instead of introducing new terms to change the definitions a tad. So for FF.00 fruit size 10%, define as up to 10% final size. For the case of the FF.00 fruit size term, the related term for maize would be 6.1 dilatory."

current def'n:FF.00 fruit size 10% (PO:0007032): The stage when the size of the fruit is about 10% of final fruit size. [source: GR:ap, ISBN:3826331524]

Synonyms: related: 7.01 Pod 10% of final length in soybean, related: FF.00 fruit size 10% in Solanaceae, related: stage R3 in soybean, related: tomato immature green

All the other sizes are defined similarly.

proposed def'n.: (based on Mary's suggestion): A fruit formation stage that begins with the formation of a fruit and ends when the fruit has reached 10% of its final size.

Comment: This stage can only be used when the final size of the fruit is known.

At the POC meeting on 9-11-11, we agreed that these stages could be up to and including the % size for now. Should rename terms "fruit size up to 10%", etc.

RW: When does formation of a fruit occur? Should we say fertilization of an ovary instead?

new proposed: FF.00 fruit size up to 10% (PO:0007032): A fruit formation stage that begins with fertilization of an ovary and ends when the fruit has reached 10% of its final size.

Comment: A fruit may begin development without fertilization in cases of parthenocarpy, apomixis, or other hormone-induced conditions.

Upcoming meetings and Presentations 2011:

Two posters related to the Plant Ontology will be presented at the 2011 CGRB Fall Conference at CH2M HILL Alumni Center, Oregon State University, on Sunday-Monday, September 18-19, 2011.

JP will present a poster at the regarding the development of a semantic web application for annotation curation. This web application makes use of PO data via a newly created web service, and includes an initial data set built from PO GAF (.assoc) files for Oryza sativa.

Additionally, he and PJ will host a web presentation for Syngenta employees on the same topic on Sept 26.

LC will present the poster: Expanding the Plant Ontology: Linking Plant Anatomy and Development to Genomics Across Plant Taxa.