New SLiMSuite release now available

A new download of SLiMSuite (release 2014-06-22) is now available.

As well as fixing the minor GOPHER output bug, a new Taxonomy processing module (rje_taxonomy) has been added. Although primarily designed for use with other SLiMSuite programs, this module has some standalone functionality for generating lists of Taxa IDs and species codes. (Details to follow.)

Output for the main SLiMSuite programs, SLiMFinder, SLiMProb and QSLiMFinder has also been consolidated and made more consistent for both re-running analyses and running analyses with multiple settings (consecutively) in the same directory. The use of GOPHER for generating alignments for conservation masking in these programs has also been improved to enable forking. (Details to follow.)

The final change of note is that SLiMMaker is now used to generate a consensus motif for each cloud returned by (Q)SLiMFinder. Note that (by default), these consensus motifs will not necessarily cover all occurrences in the cloud. (See SLiMMaker for more information.)

Other miscellaneous updates are listed below.

Updates since last release:

• gablam: Updated from Version 2.12.
→ Version 2.13: Fixed Protein vs DNA GABLAM. Modified sequence extraction to handle larger sequences. Add blastdir=PATH/.

• gopher: Updated from Version 3.3.
→ Version 3.4: Fixed FullRBH paralogue duplication issue.

• pingu_V4: Updated from Version 4.1.
→ Version 4.2: Bug fixes for use of PPISource to create PPI databases. Add HGNC to sourcedata (xrefdata=HGNC)

• qslimfinder: Updated from Version 1.7.
→ Version 1.8: Added cloudfix=T/F Restrict output to clouds with 1+ fixed motif (recommended) [False]. Consolidating output.

• slimbench: Updated from Version 2.2.
→ Version 2.2: Modified the FN/TN and ResNum calculations. No longer rate TP in random data as OT.
→ Version 2.3: Changed the default to queries=F. SearchINI bug fix. Added occbench generation.

• slimfarmer: Updated from Version 1.1.
→ Version 1.2: Implemented the slimsuite=T/F option and got SLiMFarmer qsub to work with GOPHER forking.

• slimfinder: Updated from Version 4.6.
→ Version 4.7: Added SLiMMaker generation to motif clouds. Added Q and Occ to Chance column.

• slimprob: Updated from Version 1.2.
→ Version 1.3: Consolidating output file naming for consistency across SLiMSuite. (SLiMBuild = Motif input)

• rje: Updated from Version 4.10.
→ Version 4.11: Enabled '\t#' comments in ini files. Modified getStrLC to return '' for 'none' by default. Added listMax().
→ Version 4.11: Added self.name() to basic object class.

• rje_blast: Reinstated for SLiMDisc legacy compatibility.

• rje_ensembl: Reinstated and updated.
→ Version 2.11: Added rje_taxonomy and makeuniprot=T/F. Removed metlist. Moved release and species data extraction.
→ Version 2.12: Changed chromspec to enable downloads of all species but also download toplevel files, not chromosomes.

• rje_hmm_V1: Reinstated.

• rje_hpc: Updated from Version 1.0.
→ Version 1.1: Disabled memory checking in Windows and OSX.

• rje_motif_V3: Updated from Version 3.0.
→ Version 3.1: Fixed minor code bugs.

• rje_obj: Updated from Version 1.6.
→ Version 1.7: Added self.name() to basic object class.

• rje_seq: Updated from Version 3.18.
→ Version 3.19: Fixed BLAST+ sequence extraction name truncation error.

• rje_seqlist: Updated from Version 1.4.
→ Version 1.5: Added sampler=N(,X) : Generate (X) file(s) sampling a random N sequences from input into seqout.N.X.fas [0]
→ Version 1.6: Modified currSeq() and nextSeq() slightly to fix index mode breakage. Look out for other programs breaking.
→ Version 1.6: Add sequence fragment extraction.

• rje_slim: Updated from Version 1.6.
→ Version 1.7: Fixed import slimFix(slim) error that was reporting slimProb()

• rje_slimcalc: Updated from Version 0.7.
→ Version 0.8: Made RLC the default.

• rje_slimcore: Updated from Version 1.14.
→ Version 1.15: Added pre-running GOPHER if no alndir and usegopher=T. Updated dataset() to use Input not Basefile.

• rje_taxonomy: Created/Renamed.
→ Version 0.0: Initial Compilation.
→ Version 0.1: Initial working version with rje_ensembl.
→ Version 1.0: Fully functional version with modified viral species code creation.

• rje_uniprot: Updated from Version 3.18.
→ Version 3.19: Updated and consolidated dbxref table generation (formerly linkout) using rje_db. Changed acc_num to accnum.

Minor bug in GOPHER output with BLAST+

A bug has been identified with the current SLiMSuite release when using BLAST+ to generate orthologue alignments with GOPHER. Sequences extracted from the blast database have the first letter of their name truncated. In real terms, this should not make a lot of difference (if using the recommended naming format) but it could present mapping issues. A few other programs, such as HAQESAC, may also be affected if BLAST+ is being used to extract sequences.

A fix is available on request and will be part of the next release, which should be soon.

Blog switchover

Posts and pages from the old SLiMSuite and SeqSuite blog have now been imported and this blog will take over as the main source of ongoing news, tips, documentation and updates.

SLiMSuite 2014-04-22 now available

A new download of SLiMSuite (release 2014-04-22) is now available. As well as fixing the gopher.py error, the download page and readme have had a slight makeover, which should make them load quicker.

As part of ongoing consolidation and documentation, SeqSuite has now been incorporated into in a single SLiMSuite download. (Previously, SLiMSuite was available as a reduced set of programs and SeqSuite had the full set.) The intention is to retire the SeqSuite moniker over the coming months, although the programs themselves will still be available.

The lastest release also features a new program, SLiMFarmer, for running (Q)SLiMFinder and SLiMProb batch jobs on parallel processors. SLiMFarmer is still under development and should hopefully work with other SLiMSuite programs too but has not yet been tested.

Other miscellaneous updates are listed below.

Updates since last release:

• comparimotif_V3: Updated from Version 3.10.
→ Version 3.10: Added forking.
→ Version 3.11: Added additional overlap/matchfix checks during basic comparison to try and speed up.
→ Version 3.12: Replaced deprecated sets.Set() with set().

• gablam: Updated from Version 2.11.
→ Version 2.12: Consolidated use of BLAST V2.

• haqesac: Updated from Version 1.9.
→ Version 1.10: Added exceptions for BLAST failure.

• picsi: Updated from Version 1.1.
→ Version 1.2: Updated to BUDAPEST 2.3 and rje_mascot.

• pingu_V4: Created.
→ Version 4.0: Initial Compilation based on code from SLiMBench and PINGU 3.9 (inherited as pingu_V3).
→ Version 4.1: Adding compilation of PPI databases using new rje_xref V1.1 and older objects from PINGU V3.
→ Version 4.2: Bug fixes for use of PPISource to create PPI databases.

• qslimfinder: Updated from Version 1.6.
→ Version 1.7: Fixed "MustHave=LIST" correction of motif space.

• seqmapper: Updated from Version 2.0.
→ Version 2.1: Added catching of failure to read input sequences. Removed 'Run' from GABLAM table.

• slimbench: Updated from Version 2.0.
→ Version 2.1: Fixed memsaver=T unless in development mode (dev=T). Removed old Assessment. Tested with simbench analysis.
→ Version 2.2: Replaced searchini=LIST with searchini=FILE and moved to SimBench commands.
→ Version 2.2: Modified the FN/TN and ResNum calculations. No longer rate TP in random data as OT.

• slimfarmer: Created.
→ Version 0.0: Initial Compilation.
→ Version 1.0: Functional version using rje_qsub and rje_iridis to fork out SLiMSuite runs.
→ Version 1.1: Updated to use rje_hpc.JobFarmer and incorporate main SLiMSuite farming within SLiMFarmer class.

• slimfinder: Updated from Version 4.5.
→ Version 4.6: Minor modification to seqocc=T function. !Experimental! Added main occurrence output and modified savespace.

• slimmutant: Created.
→ Version 0.0: Initial Compilation.
→ Version 1.0: Working version with standalone functionality.

• slimprob: Updated from Version 1.0.
→ Version 1.1: Tidied import commands.
→ Version 1.2: Increased extras=X levels. Adjusted maxsize=X assessment to be post-masking.

• ned_rankbydistribution: Updated from Version 1.1.
→ Version 1.2: Replaced depracated Set module.

• rje: Updated from Version 4.8.
→ Version 4.9: Added rje.slimsuite, which determines the slimsuite home directory from rje.py file path.
→ Version 4.10: Added osx=T/F option for Mac-specific running options.

• rje_blast_V2: Updated from Version 2.4.
→ Version 2.5: Minor modifications for SLiMCore UPC generation.
→ Version 2.6: Minor bug fixes.

• rje_db: Updated from Version 1.2.
→ Version 1.3: Minor modifications for SLiMCore FUPC development.
→ Version 1.4: Added list checking with addEmptyTable.

• rje_dismatrix_V2: Updated from Version 2.9.
→ Version 2.10: Minor modifications for SLiMCore UPC.

• rje_genemap: Updated from Version 1.4.
→ Version 1.5: Minor tweak of expected HGNC input following change to downloads.

• rje_hpc: Created.
→ Version 1.0: Initial Compilation based on rje_iridis V1.10.

• rje_iridis: Updated from Version 1.9.
→ Version 1.10: Modified freemem setting to run on Katana. Made rsh optional. Removed defunct IRIDIS3 option.

• rje_obj: Updated from Version 1.3.
→ Version 1.4: Added sourceDataFile() method from SLiMBench for wider use.
→ Version 1.5: Added 'basestr' and 'basefile' cmdlist types.
→ Version 1.6: Added osx=T/F option for Mac-specific running options.

• rje_qsub: Updated from Version 1.4.
→ Version 1.5: Added emailing of job stats after run. Added vmem limit.

• rje_seq: Updated from Version 3.17.
→ Version 3.18: Minor BLAST+ bug fixes. Added exceptions to readBLAST failure.

• rje_seqlist: Updated from Version 1.3.
→ Version 1.4: Added dna2prot reformat function.

• rje_slimcore: Updated from Version 1.12.
→ Version 1.13: Modified the savespace settings to reduce numbers of files. targz file now uses RunID not Build Info.
→ Version 1.14: Started adding code for Fragmented UPC (FUPC) clustering.

• rje_slimlist: Updated from Version 1.2.
→ Version 1.3: Added auto-download of ELM data.

• rje_uniprot: Updated from Version 3.14.
→ Version 3.14: Added dblist=LIST and dbsplit=T/F for additional DB link output control. Set unipath default to url.
→ Version 3.15: Added extraction of taxonomic groups. Add UniFormat to improve pure downloads.
→ Version 3.16: Added WBGene ID's from WormBase as one of the recognised DB XRef to parse.
→ Version 3.17: Efficiency tweak to URL-based extraction of acclist.
→ Version 3.18: Minor modification to database parsing.

• rje_xref: Updated from Version 1.0.
→ Version 1.1: Added output of ID lists to text files. Major reworking. Tested with HPRD and HGNC.

Coming soon...

This blog will replace the current SeqSuite and SLiMSuite blog. For now, please see the existing blog.

Missing gopher.py file

There is a bug with the current software download, with a file missing from the libraries/ directory. The download will hopefully be updated soon but in the meantime please email richard.edwards[at]unsw.ed.au and I will send you the file.

Using SLiMFinder on Phage Display Data (or other peptides)

Although SLiMFinder is designed with whole protein sequences in mind, it can also be used to identify statistically over-represented motifs in peptide data, including phage display results. Indeed, it is the third example application in the original SLiMFinder paper.

Unfortunately, the SLiMFinder webserver is currently not set up for phage display analysis, so if you are interested in this kind of work then you will need to download SLiMSuite.

Suggested settings for phage display data are below. If anyone has a go and/or wants more advice, please get in touch. (If you try it, I’d be interested to hear how well it works!) Similarly, if you want some advice/ideas on how to combine the peptides with interaction data and full length protein sequences for a more sophisticated analysis, send me a bit more info and I’d be happy to make some suggestions.

Custom settings for phage display data

Here is an overview of the settings that should be tweaked for phage display analysis:

Amino acid frequencies. One thing you will want to try is changing the way that the amino acid frequencies are used. By default, SLiMFinder will use the amino acid frequencies of the input dataset but for phage display peptides this is not really right as the peptides are clearly biased in their composition due to the motifs they contain. Instead, you probably want to set the amino acid frequencies for the background model to those of the human proteome (for human peptides) or even a uniform amino acid distribution. (Select frequencies that model the pre-screening amino acid frequencies.) This is done using the aafreq=FILE option, where FILE can be a fasta file of protein sequences or a delimited file of aa frequencies with the headings “AA” and “FREQ”. (See the manual for details.) If in doubt, try a few runs with different amino acid frequencies.

Evolutionary Filtering. Evolutionary filtering should be switched off (efilter=F) but you will also want to make sure that there is no redundancy in your peptides. (rje_seq.py can be used for this.)

SLiMChance. If you are not so interested in the statistical significance and primarily want to use SLiMFinder to return a ranked list of interesting motifs in the data, set sigcut=1.0 and choose the number of motifs to return with topranks=X.

Ambiguity. Peptide data is usually pretty quick to run, and so it is probably worth exploring the full range of ambiguity with combamb=T (combined amino acid and variable-lengh wildcards). The basic equiv=LIST set for aa degeneracy should be OK for most jobs but you can easily tweak it to add or remove ambiguity combinations as appropriate.

Masking. You will probably want to switch off all masking (masking=F). Low complexity masking might be useful but metmask=F posmask="" should be used as the N-termini are not true protein N-termini.