ER-plasma membrane tethering obsoletion

GO:0061817 (process) → GO:0160214 adaptor activity (function)

AI Gene Review · projects/ER_PM_TETHERING_OBSOLETION · 2026

Bottom line

  • GO obsoleted GO:0061817 because tethering the ER to the plasma membrane is a molecular function, now GO:0160214.
  • 21 upstream annotations (PomBase 13 done, CGD 4, TAIR 2, UniProt 2) move; InterPro already dropped 8 mappings.
  • Scoped, not yet started: no review YAML uses either term and no dedicated ER-PM tether is reviewed. VAPA was assessed for GO:0160214 and not annotated (PR #3220): the partner's PH domain, not VAPA, binds the PM lipids. VAPA never had GO:0061817 in GOA; only its cached UniProt DR line lists it.

Old term → replacements

What the new function term describes

Why the change is right

  • The old term was a process whose definition was the attachment itself: a single-step activity.
  • GO:0160214 is defined as the binding activity that brings the two membranes together via lipid binding.
  • A true process consequence, where one exists, goes to GO:0051643 ER localization.
  • The same pattern applies across the three families: E-Syts, tricalbins and plant SYTs.

Next steps

  1. ✅ VAPA: GO:0160214 not added (PR #3220); the scs2/scs22 and VAPB precedent is a suggested question.
  2. Anchor reviews: ESYT2 (human) and TCB3 (yeast) via just fetch-gene; check the new MF term against the literature.
  3. Then the rest as one batch: ESYT1, ESYT3, TCB1, TCB2.
  4. Plant SYT1/SYT5 (ARATH) last; separate stress phenotypes from the core contact-site function.

Upstream: go-annotation#6383 · go-ontology#31873
Read more: projects/ER_PM_TETHERING_OBSOLETION.md