[gmx-users] Problem in energy minimization for a empty membrane system

Justin A. Lemkul jalemkul at vt.edu
Wed Jun 24 14:14:42 CEST 2009



Bing Bing wrote:
> Hi!
> Thanks for your suggestion on the tutorial. I will try it out.
> I actually tried to use the starting structure without going through 
> editconf and alteration but it failed. Here's the error:
> ERROR: The cut-off length is longer than half the shortest box vector or 
> longer than the smallest box diagonal element. Increase the box size or 
> decrease rlist.
> I've tried on reducing the rlist but still failed. Please advice.
> 

The POPC bilayer from Tieleman's site is a 6.2 x 6.1 nm box in x-y, and 6.9 nm 
in z.  How large are your cutoffs?  You do realize that Gromacs uses nm, not 
Angstrom, for these parameters, right?

> According to the tutorial you suggested, we are suppose to use genbox to 
> solvate the membrane and remove those water manually by script that go 
> inside the membrane. Does this mean that I'm suppose to throw away the 
> water from the starting structure and resolvate it again?
> 

I pointed you to the tutorial because you said you'd be running a membrane 
protein.  For a pure membrane, you do not need to remove water and re-solvate. 
The POPC structure Tieleman provides is pre-equilibrated, so it should be fine 
for a simulation of just the membrane.

-Justin

> thanks again.
> 
> regards,
> Bing
> 
> On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 11:28 PM, Justin A. Lemkul <jalemkul at vt.edu 
> <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>     Bing Bing wrote:
> 
>         Thanks for reply.
>         I've used editconf to define the box by issuing :-
>         editconf -f popc.pdb -o popc_box.gro -c -d 1.0 -bt cubic
>         Is this the correct way of using editconf?
> 
> 
>     This would be appropriate for a protein, but not a membrane.  What
>     you're doing is defining a layer of nothingness around the
>     membrane/water system, which may have molecules split across
>     periodic boundaries.  This could be the reason everything is blowing up.
> 
>     Try running EM on the original, unaltered POPC from Tieleman's site.
> 
> 
>         And with this i proceed with grompp with the mdp file from
>         previous email followed by mdrun....
> 
>         Actually the restraint is require in another system
>         (membrane+protein), i wanted to test it out in the this smaller
>         systme before using it in the complete systme.However, it failed.
> 
> 
>     Applying position restraints to every atom of a lipid in the
>     presence of a protein still serves little purpose.  If you were to
>     attempt to energy-minimize such a system, the clashes (if any)
>     between the protein and lipids would go unresolved.  Certainly
>     equilibrating with such restraints would be meaningless, as well.
> 
>     If you're interested, hopefully the tutorial here will help:
> 
>     http://oldwiki.gromacs.org/index.php/Membrane_Simulations
> 
>     It is designed for membrane protein simulations.
> 
>     -Justin
> 
>         Thanks in advance
> 
>         regards,
>         bing
> 
> 
>         On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 10:21 PM, Justin A. Lemkul
>         <jalemkul at vt.edu <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>
>         <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>>> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>            Bing Bing wrote:
> 
>                Hi Justin,
>                I've tried with no restraint and the minimization stopped
>         at the
>                same time. I actually suspect that the restraint is not
>         working
>                at all. My top file is as below:-
>                #include "ffG53a6_lipid.itp"
>                #include "popc.itp"
>                #ifdef POSRES
>                #include "posres_popc.itp"
>                #endif
>                #ifdef FLEX_SPC
>                #include "flexspc.itp"
>                #else
>                #include "spc.itp"
>                #endif
> 
>                [ system ]
>                ; name
>                Pure POPC bilayer with 128 lipids 2460 water
> 
>                [ molecules ]
>                ; name  number
>                POPC    128
>                SOL    2460
> 
>                my posres_popc.itp is as below:-
>                [ position_restraints ]
>                ; atom  type      fx      fy      fz
>                    1     1  1000  1000  1000
>                .....
>                   51     1  1000  1000  1000
>                   52     1  1000  1000  1000
> 
>                my mdp file as below :-
>                define = -DPOSRES
>                integrator = steep
>                emtol = 1000
>                emstep = 0.01
>                nsteps = 100
>                rlist = 1.2
>                coulombtype = PME
>                rcoulomb = 1.2
>                rvdw = 1.2
>                constraints = none
> 
>                May i know that is the top, posres and also the mdp file
>                correctly done?
> 
> 
>            Well, they are syntactically correct, it seems.  I see no
>         purpose in
>            restraining lipids during a minimization, however.
> 
> 
>                And by looking at the log file in the previous mail, is it
>                confirm that it manage to read the restraint file?
> 
> 
>            Can't tell.  Your system is crashing instantly for some reason.
> 
> 
>                The starting structure is taken from Peter Tielemen
>         website and
>                what i did is editconf to make box and i didn't solvate
>         because
>                the starting structure come together with water. I'm not sure
>                this is the correct way of doing it. Please advice.
> 
> 
>            Please define "editconf to make box" - have you somehow
>         manipulated
>            the structure?  That could be a source of error.  The
>         structure that
>            Tieleman provides minimized for me with no problem when I used it
>            recently.
> 
>            -Justin
> 
> 
> 
>                Thanks in advance.
>                Bing
> 
> 
> 
>                On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 7:16 PM, Justin A. Lemkul
>                <jalemkul at vt.edu <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>
>         <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>>
>                <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>
>         <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu <mailto:jalemkul at vt.edu>>>> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
>                   Bing Bing wrote:
> 
>                       Hi! I'm a postgraduate student from Malaysia and
>         currently
>                       facing energy minimization problem for my membrane
>         system.
>                       I'm trying to perform energy minimization for an
>         empty POPC
>                       membrane with position restraint on the lipid.
>                Minimization stop
>                       due to inf Fmax. And I noticed that in the log file as
>                below:-
>                         Initiating Steepest Descents
>                       Max number of connections per atom is 25
>                       Total number of connections is 84976
>                       Max number of graph edges per atom is 4
>                       Total number of graph edges is 22896
>                       Going to use C-settle (2460 waters)
>                       wo = 0.333333, wh =0.333333, wohh = 3, rc =
>         0.08165, ra =
>                0.0384897
>                       rb = 0.0192448, rc2 = 0.1633, rone = 1, dHH =
>         0.1633, dOH
>                = 0.1
>                       Started Steepest Descents on node 0 Tue Jun 23
>         17:03:43 2009
>                       Steepest Descents:
>                         Tolerance (Fmax)   =  1.00000e+03
>                         Number of steps    =          100
>                       Grid: 11 x 11 x 11 cells
>                                 Step           Time         Lambda
>                                    0        0.00000        0.00000
>                         Energies (kJ/mol)
>                                 Bond          Angle    Proper Dih.
>         Ryckaert-Bell.
>                        Improper Dih.
>                          1.64082e+05    1.71875e+04    4.06560e+03      
>             6.45104e+03           8.36392e+03
>                                LJ-14     Coulomb-14        LJ (SR)   Coulomb
>                (SR)          Coul. recip.
>                         2.12067e-314   2.12067e-314   -1.58963e+04      
>            -1.05392e+05          -1.15292e+05
>                        Position Rest.      Potential Pressure (bar)
>                          0.00000e+00   -3.64297e+04            nan
> 
> 
>                    >From the looks of some of these energies (i.e., LJ-14,
>                   Coulomb-14), it looks like something is severely wrong
>         with your
>                   starting structure, and applying position restraints
>         probably
>                isn't
>                   helping.
> 
>                   Try the minimization without restraints and see if it
>         works.
> 
>                   Also, have you set the appropriate "define" line in
>         the .mdp
>                file,
>                   corresponding to what is prescribed in the .top?
> 
>                   -Justin
> 
>                      
>         -------------------------------------------------------
>                       Program mdrun_d, VERSION 4.0.5
>                       Source code file: nsgrid.c, line: 357
>                       Range checking error:
>                       Explanation: During neighborsearching, we assign each
>                particle
>                       to a grid
>                       based on its coordinates. If your system contains
>                collisions or
>                       parameter
>                       errors that give particles very high velocities
>         you might
>                end up
>                       with some
>                       coordinates being +-Infinity or NaN (not-a-number).
>                Obviously,
>                       we cannot
>                       put these on a grid, so this is usually where we
>         detect those
>                       errors.
>                       Make sure your system is properly energy-minimized and
>                that the
>                       potential
>                       energy seems reasonable before trying again.
>                       Variable ci has value -2147483648. It should have been
>                within [
>                       0 .. 1331 ]
>                         the position restraint energy is 0 as highlighted.
>                Here's the
>                       position restraint file :-
>                        [ position_restraints ]
>                       ; atom  type      fx      fy      fz
>                           1     1  1000  1000  5000
>                           5     1  1000  1000  1000
>                           6     1  1000  1000  1000
>                           7     1  1000  1000  1000
>                           8     1  1000  1000  1000
>                           9     1  1000  1000  1000
>                          10     1  1000  1000  1000
>                       ......
> 
>                       whereby the restraint energy is 1000kcal/mol in x,
>         y and z
>                       plane. In the log file the position restraint
>         energy is
>                stated
>                       as 0.0000e+00 (as highlighted above).
>                       I think that the position restraint is not working
>         fine
>                here. Is
>                       there anyways to solve this? did I miss out
>         something here?
>                       I would be grateful if anyone can advice me on this.
>                                                    
>         ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
>                       _______________________________________________
>                       gmx-users mailing list    gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>
>                <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>>
>                       <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org> <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>>>
> 
> 
>                       http://lists.gromacs.org/mailman/listinfo/gmx-users
>                       Please search the archive at
>         http://www.gromacs.org/search
>                       before posting!
>                       Please don't post (un)subscribe requests to the
>         list. Use the
>                       www interface or send it to
>         gmx-users-request at gromacs.org <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>
>                <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>>
>                       <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>
>                <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>>>.
> 
>                       Can't post? Read
>                http://www.gromacs.org/mailing_lists/users.php
> 
> 
>                   --    ========================================
> 
>                   Justin A. Lemkul
>                   Ph.D. Candidate
>                   ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
>                   Department of Biochemistry
>                   Virginia Tech
>                   Blacksburg, VA
>                   jalemkul[at]vt.edu <http://vt.edu> <http://vt.edu>
>         <http://vt.edu> | (540)
> 
>                231-9080
> 
>                   http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin
> 
>                   ========================================
>                   _______________________________________________
>                   gmx-users mailing list    gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>
>                <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>>
>                   <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org> <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>>>
> 
> 
>                   http://lists.gromacs.org/mailman/listinfo/gmx-users
>                   Please search the archive at
>         http://www.gromacs.org/search before
>                   posting!
>                   Please don't post (un)subscribe requests to the list.
>         Use the www
>                   interface or send it to gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>
>                <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>>
>                   <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>
>                <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>>>.
> 
>                   Can't post? Read
>         http://www.gromacs.org/mailing_lists/users.php
> 
> 
> 
>            --    ========================================
> 
>            Justin A. Lemkul
>            Ph.D. Candidate
>            ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
>            Department of Biochemistry
>            Virginia Tech
>            Blacksburg, VA
>            jalemkul[at]vt.edu <http://vt.edu> <http://vt.edu> | (540)
>         231-9080
>            http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin
> 
>            ========================================
>            _______________________________________________
>            gmx-users mailing list    gmx-users at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>
>            <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>>
>            http://lists.gromacs.org/mailman/listinfo/gmx-users
>            Please search the archive at http://www.gromacs.org/search before
>            posting!
>            Please don't post (un)subscribe requests to the list. Use the www
>            interface or send it to gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>
>            <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>         <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>>.
>            Can't post? Read http://www.gromacs.org/mailing_lists/users.php
> 
> 
> 
>     -- 
>     ========================================
> 
>     Justin A. Lemkul
>     Ph.D. Candidate
>     ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
>     Department of Biochemistry
>     Virginia Tech
>     Blacksburg, VA
>     jalemkul[at]vt.edu <http://vt.edu> | (540) 231-9080
>     http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin
> 
>     ========================================
>     _______________________________________________
>     gmx-users mailing list    gmx-users at gromacs.org
>     <mailto:gmx-users at gromacs.org>
>     http://lists.gromacs.org/mailman/listinfo/gmx-users
>     Please search the archive at http://www.gromacs.org/search before
>     posting!
>     Please don't post (un)subscribe requests to the list. Use the www
>     interface or send it to gmx-users-request at gromacs.org
>     <mailto:gmx-users-request at gromacs.org>.
>     Can't post? Read http://www.gromacs.org/mailing_lists/users.php
> 
> 

-- 
========================================

Justin A. Lemkul
Ph.D. Candidate
ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
Department of Biochemistry
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
jalemkul[at]vt.edu | (540) 231-9080
http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin

========================================



More information about the gromacs.org_gmx-users mailing list