| vectorstrip

# Program vectorstrip

## Function

Strips out DNA between a pair of vector sequences

## Description

vectorstrip is intended to be useful for stripping vector sequence from the ends of sequences of interest. For example, if a fragment has been cloned into a vector and then sequenced, the sequence may contain vector data eg from the cloning polylinker at the 5' and 3' ends of the sequence. vectorstrip will remove these contaminating regions and output trimmed sequence ready for input into another application.

vectorstrip is suitable for use with low quality sequence data as it can allow for mismatches between the sequence and the vector patterns provided. You can specify the maximum level of mismatch expected.

Vector data can either be provided in a file or interactively. If presented in a file, vectorstrip will search all input sequences with all vectors listed in that file. The intention is that the user can maintain a single file for use with vectorstrip, containing all the linker sequences commonly used in the laboratory.

The two patterns for each vector are searched separately against the sequence. Once the search is completed, each of the hits of the 5' sequence is paired with each of the hits of the 3' sequence and the resulting subsequences are output. For example, if the 5' sequence matches the sequence from (a) position 30-60, and(b)position 70-100, and the 3' sequence matches from 150-175, then two subsequences will be output: from 61-149, and from 101-149. The lower the quality of the sequence, the more likely multiple hits become if nonzero mismatches are accepted.

Default behaviour is to report only the best matches between the vector patterns and the sequence. This means that if you specify a maximum mismatch level of 10%, but the vector patterns match the sequence with zero mismatches, the search will stop and the program will output only these "best" matches. If there are no perfect matches, the program will try searching again allowing 1 mismatch, then 2, and so on until either the patterns match the sequence or the maximum specified mismatch level is exceeded. You can tell vectorstrip to show all possible matches up to your specified maximum level, as illustrated in the examples below.

## Usage

Here is a sample session with vectorstrip

    % vectorstrip @../../data/vecseqs.list
    Strips out DNA between a pair of vector sequences
    Are your vector sequences in a file? [Y]:
    Name of vectorfile: ../../data/vectors
    Max allowed % mismatch [10]:
    Show only the best hits (minimise mismatches)? [Y]:
    Output file [pbluescript.vectorstrip]: vector.strip
    Output sequence [pbluescript.fasta]: vector.fasta

Go to the input files for this example
Go to the output files for this example

## Command line arguments

       Mandatory qualifiers (* if not always prompted):
      [-sequence]          seqall     Sequence database USA
      [-[no]vectorfile]    boolean    Are your vector sequences in a file?
    * [-vectors]           infile     Name of vectorfile
       -mismatch           integer    Max allowed % mismatch
       -[no]besthits       boolean    Show only the best hits (minimise
                                      mismatches)?
    *  -linkera            string     5' sequence
    *  -linkerb            string     3' sequence
      [-outf]              outfile    Output file name
      [-outseq]            seqoutall  Output sequence(s) USA

       Optional qualifiers: (none)
       Advanced qualifiers: (none)
       Associated qualifiers:
      "-sequence" related qualifiers
       -sbegin1             integer    First base used
       -send1               integer    Last base used, def=seq length
       -sreverse1           boolean    Reverse (if DNA)
       -sask1               boolean    Ask for begin/end/reverse
       -snucleotide1        boolean    Sequence is nucleotide
       -sprotein1           boolean    Sequence is protein
       -slower1             boolean    Make lower case
       -supper1             boolean    Make upper case
       -sformat1            string     Input sequence format
       -sopenfile1          string     Input filename
       -sdbname1            string     Database name
       -sid1                string     Entryname
       -ufo1                string     UFO features
       -fformat1            string     Features format
       -fopenfile1          string     Features file name
      "-outf" related qualifiers
       -odirectory4         string     Output directory
      "-outseq" related qualifiers
       -osformat5           string     Output seq format
       -osextension5        string     File name extension
       -osname5             string     Base file name
       -osdirectory5        string     Output directory
       -osdbname5           string     Database name to add
       -ossingle5           boolean    Separate file for each entry
       -oufo5               string     UFO features
       -offormat5           string     Features format
       -ofname5             string     Features file name
       -ofdirectory5        string     Output directory

       General qualifiers:
       -auto                boolean    Turn off prompts
       -stdout              boolean    Write standard output
       -filter              boolean    Read standard input, write standard output
       -options             boolean    Prompt for required and optional values
       -debug               boolean    Write debug output to program.dbg
       -acdlog              boolean    Write ACD processing log to program.acdlog
       -acdpretty           boolean    Rewrite ACD file as program.acdpretty
       -acdtable            boolean    Write HTML table of options
       -verbose             boolean    Report some/full command line options
       -help                boolean    Report command line options. More
                                      information on associated and general
                                      qualifiers can be found with -help -verbose
       -warning             boolean    Report warnings
       -error               boolean    Report errors
       -fatal               boolean    Report fatal errors
       -die                 boolean    Report deaths

Mandatory qualifiers | Allowed values | Default
--- | --- | ---
[-sequence] (Parameter 1) | Sequence database USA | Readable sequence(s) | Required
[-[no]vectorfile] (Parameter 2) | Are your vector sequences in a file? | Boolean value Yes/No | Yes
[-vectors] (Parameter 3) | Name of vectorfile | Input file | Required
-mismatch | Max allowed % mismatch | Any integer value | 10
-[no]besthits | Show only the best hits (minimise mismatches)? | Boolean value Yes/No | Yes
-linkera | 5' sequence | Any string is accepted | An empty string is accepted
-linkerb | 3' sequence | Any string is accepted | An empty string is accepted
[-outf] (Parameter 4) | Output file name | Output file | <sequence>.vectorstrip
[-outseq] (Parameter 5) | Output sequence(s) USA | Writeable sequence(s) | <sequence>.format
Optional qualifiers | Allowed values | Default
(none)
Advanced qualifiers | Allowed values | Default
(none)

## Input file format

### Input files for usage example

### File: ../../data/vecseqs.list

    ../../data/bluescript.seq
    ../../data/litmus.seq
    ../../data/pTYB1.seq

### File: ../../data/vectors

    # Example vector file for use by vectorstrip

    # Vector	5'			3'

    pTYB1   GACGGCGGCCGCGAATTCC     TCGAGGGCTCTTCCTGC
    pBS_KS+ GGGTACCGGGCCCCCCC       TCGAGGTCGACGGTA
    pLITMUS GATATCCTGCAGGAATTCC     TCGAGACCGTACGTGCG

The same fragment has been cloned into the XhoI site of the polylinker of each vector. The cloned fragment is represented in lower case and the vector sequence in upper case so the sequence trimming can be readily seen.

Each line of the vector file should contain the name of the vector, the 5' pattern and the 3' pattern.
Lines beginning with # are treated as comments and ignored.
If only one vector sequence is given in the it will be assumed that this is the 5' pattern.
If a vector name is given but no pattern data, the vector will not be used.

## Output file format

### Output files for usage example

### File: vector.fasta

    >pBlueScript_from_84_to_204 KS+
    tcgagagccgtattgcgatatagcgcacatgcgttggacacagatgagcacacagtgaca
    tgagagacacagatatagagacagatagacgatagacagacagcatatatagacagatag
    c
    >litmus.seq_from_62_to_182
    tcgagagccgtattgcgatatagcgcacatgcgttggacacagatgagcacacagtgaca
    tgagagacacagatatagagacagatagacgatagacagacagcatatatagacagatag
    c
    >pTYB1.seq_from_59_to_179
    tcgagagccgtattgcgatatagcgcacatgcgttggacacagatgagcacacagtgaca
    tgagagacacagatatagagacagatagacgatagacagacagcatatatagacagatag
    c

### File: vector.strip

    Sequence: pBlueScript 	 Vector: pTYB1	No match

    Sequence: pBlueScript 	 Vector: pBS_KS+
    5' sequence matches:
    	From 67 to 83 with 0 mismatches
    3' sequence matches:
    	From 205 to 219 with 0 mismatches
    Sequences output to file:
    	from 84 to 204
    		tcgagagccgtattgcgatatagcgcacatgcgttggacacagatgagca
    		cacagtgacatgagagacacagatatagagacagatagacgatagacaga
    		cagcatatatagacagatagc
    	sequence trimmed from 5' end:
    		GGAAACAGCTAATGACCATGATTACGCCAAGCGCGCAATTAACCCTCACT
    		AAAGGGAACAAAAGCTGGGTACCGGGCCCCCCC
    	sequence trimmed from 3' end:
    		TCGAGGTCGACGGTATCGATAAGCTTGATATCG

    Sequence: pBlueScript 	 Vector: pLITMUS	No match

    Sequence: litmus.seq 	 Vector: pTYB1	No match

    Sequence: litmus.seq 	 Vector: pBS_KS+	No match

    Sequence: litmus.seq 	 Vector: pLITMUS
    5' sequence matches:
    	From 43 to 61 with 0 mismatches
    3' sequence matches:
    	From 183 to 199 with 0 mismatches
    Sequences output to file:
    	from 62 to 182
    		tcgagagccgtattgcgatatagcgcacatgcgttggacacagatgagca
    		cacagtgacatgagagacacagatatagagacagatagacgatagacaga
    		cagcatatatagacagatagc
    	sequence trimmed from 5' end:
    		TCTAGAACCGGTGACGTCTCCCATGGTGAAGCTTGGATCCACGATATCCT
    		GCAGGAATTCC
    	sequence trimmed from 3' end:
    		TCGAGACCGTACGTGCGCGCGAATGCATCCAGATCTTCCCTCTAGTCAAG
    		GCCTTAAGTGAGTCGTATTACGGA

    Sequence: pTYB1.seq 	 Vector: pTYB1
    5' sequence matches:
    	From 40 to 58 with 0 mismatches
    3' sequence matches:
    	From 180 to 196 with 0 mismatches
    Sequences output to file:
    	from 59 to 179
    		tcgagagccgtattgcgatatagcgcacatgcgttggacacagatgagca
    		cacagtgacatgagagacacagatatagagacagatagacgatagacaga
    		cagcatatatagacagatagc
    	sequence trimmed from 5' end:
    		CTTTAAGAAGGAGATATACATATGGCTAGCTCGCGAGTCGACGGCGGCCG
    		CGAATTCC
    	sequence trimmed from 3' end:
    		TCGAGGGCTCTTCCTGCTTTGCCAAGGGTACCAATGTTTTAATGGCGGAT

    Sequence: pTYB1.seq 	 Vector: pBS_KS+	No match

    Sequence: pTYB1.seq 	 Vector: pLITMUS	No match

Two types of output file are produced:

1. The sequence file(s) - contain the trimmed subsequence(s) produced by vectorstrip either all in one file, or in separate files if the command line flag -ossingle is used.
2. Results summary file

## Data files

None.

## Notes

None.

## References

None.

## Warnings

None.

## Diagnostic Error Messages

1.     No suitable vectors found - exiting

   indicates that the 5' and 3' patterns for the vectors were blank - usually this is as a result of an empty vectorfile.

2.     Illegal pattern

   indicates that one of the vector patterns could not be compiled and therefore cannot be searched.

3.     5' and 3' sequence matches are identical; inconclusive

   indicates that the 5' and 3' patterns provided were identical, and that they only match the sequence once. Thus the program cannot determine which part of the sequence is vector and which is insert.

## Exit status

It always exits with status 0.

## Known bugs

None.

## See also

Program name | Description
--- | ---
biosed | Replace or delete sequence sections
cutseq | Removes a specified section from a sequence
degapseq | Removes gap characters from sequences
descseq | Alter the name or description of a sequence
entret | Reads and writes (returns) flatfile entries
extractfeat | Extract features from a sequence
extractseq | Extract regions from a sequence
listor | Writes a list file of the logical OR of two sets of sequences
maskfeat | Mask off features of a sequence
maskseq | Mask off regions of a sequence
newseq | Type in a short new sequence
noreturn | Removes carriage return from ASCII files
notseq | Excludes a set of sequences and writes out the remaining ones
nthseq | Writes one sequence from a multiple set of sequences
pasteseq | Insert one sequence into another
revseq | Reverse and complement a sequence
seqret | Reads and writes (returns) sequences
seqretsplit | Reads and writes (returns) sequences in individual files
skipseq | Reads and writes (returns) sequences, skipping the first few
splitter | Split a sequence into (overlapping) smaller sequences
trimest | Trim poly-A tails off EST sequences
trimseq | Trim ambiguous bits off the ends of sequences
union | Reads sequence fragments and builds one sequence
yank | Reads a sequence range, appends the full USA to a list file

## Author(s)

Val Curwen (vac © sanger.ac.uk)
Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK.

## History

16 August 2000 - Val Curwen - Written.

## Target users

This program is intended to be used by everyone and everything, from naive users to embedded scripts.

## Comments