[Fwd: Re: [gmx-users] A problem with a "detaching Calpha/s"]

Arik Cohen acohen at biochem.duke.edu
Tue Jan 5 22:30:45 CET 2010


Thanks a lot the ultrafast response !

Arik

Justin A. Lemkul wrote:
>
>
> Arik Cohen wrote:
>> Dear Gromacs users,
>>
>> In continuation to the problem below, it seems that self interaction 
>> is not the problem since a -d 1.5nm around the protein should have 
>> been more than enough. Not noticing earlier, I see strange files 
>> being created with the name "step1150b_n1.pdb"
>> (a bug like structural report of that step ?). In those files and in 
>> the pdb created after applying trjconv, the protein is drifted from 
>> the cell's center to one of  the edge and a fragment appears at the 
>> other side.
>> Saying that, trjconv does not solves the problem.
>>
>> I would be most thankful for any comment/suggestion as to how to 
>> prevent this drift which causes in turn to the "fragment" problem.
>>
>
> Check your log file for LINCS warnings, etc.  These step_*.pdb files 
> are written when the system becomes unstable and is on the verge of 
> collapse.  Your system is probably blowing up, hence the weird 
> coordinates.
>
> -Justin
>
>> Thank
>>
>> Arik
>>
>> Mark James Abraham wrote:
>>>
>>> On 01/01/10, *"Justin A. Lemkul" *<jalemkul at vt.edu> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >No, sorry for the confusion. The images are only from a simulation 
>>>> of one protein(tmRBP_Unliganded, PDB: 2FN9). The problem seen with 
>>>> BPTI was a bit different in a way that only 1 C-alpha was 
>>>> "detached" (cell size ?).
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>> If there is supposed to be only a single protein in the images 
>>>> you've shown (and after having a look at the 2FN9 structure from 
>>>> the PDB), it seems pretty clear to me that part of your protein has 
>>>> simply crossed a periodic boundary and trjconv -pbc mol (or some 
>>>> such command) should fix it.
>>> Indeed. Further, note that the reappearance of a subset of the 
>>> seemingly detached atoms back with the main group is totally normal. 
>>> With domain decomposition in GROMACS 4, such "broken" molecules can 
>>> be written to the trajectory. Judicious use of trjconv fixes the 
>>> appearance of this non-problem.
>>>
>>> Mark
>>>
>>>>
>>>> >Arik
>>>> >
>>>> >Justin A. Lemkul wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>Which two proteins ? I have at least in beginning only one 
>>>> protein which some how is divided into two along the calculation.
>>>> >>>Any way I'll try both increasing the cell and fix it with trjconv.
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>
>>>> >>Quoting your original message:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>"While running a simple MD simulation with both a small protein 
>>>> such as BPTI and a larger one such as tmRBP_Unliganded_2FN9.pdb..."
>>>> >>
>>>> >>I assumed that what I was seeing in the images was a set of two 
>>>> proteins.  My concern was that you defined a box relative to the 
>>>> larger protein, then inserted the smaller one (BPTI?), leaving 
>>>> insufficient space in the box to satisfy the minimum image 
>>>> convention.  If that's not what we're looking at, then that'd be 
>>>> useful to know :)
>>>> >>
>>>> >>If you have a single protein, "divided into two" then the problem 
>>>> is almost certainly a simple periodicity artifact.  Bonds do not 
>>>> break in a normal MD calculation (in fact they can't using the 
>>>> standard MM approximations).
>>>> >>
>>>> >>-Justin
>>>> >>
>>>> >>>Thanks a lot
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>Arik
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>>Justin A. Lemkul wrote:
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>>>I'm using dodecahedron -d 0.7
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>Was that distance specified with respect to both of the protein 
>>>> molecules in the unit cell?  You can check for spurious PBC 
>>>> interactions with g_mindist -pi. Anyway, I'd be curious to see how 
>>>> you do with trjconv.
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>-Justin
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>>Justin A. Lemkul wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>Hi,
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>I have not tried yet to fix it with trjconv which I will . 
>>>> Attached is a picture with 4 snapshots taken from the simulation. 
>>>> The C-alphas in question are emphasized with red color.
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>Is your unit cell sufficiently large?  It looks like the 
>>>> C-alphas indicated are simply crossing the periodic boundary on the 
>>>> "left" of the frame and interacting with the protein molecule in 
>>>> the "right" of the frame, which would indicate to me that the unit 
>>>> cell is too small and you're seeing spurious PBC interactions 
>>>> (i.e., violation of the minimum image convention).
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>-Justin
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>Thanks
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>Arik
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>Justin A. Lemkul wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>Hi,
>>>> >>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>Sorry to bother you again ,but its not only a periodic 
>>>> effect since only *some of the atoms* in the  "Detached" group are 
>>>> vanishing from this group and reappearing in the main protein 
>>>> group. The rest of the atoms are either always in the detached or 
>>>> the main group.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>In addition, the "detached" group includes three segments 
>>>> of the protein(8 residues(126-131), 8 residues(157-164) and 4 
>>>> residues186-189).
>>>> >>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>From your description, this sounds exactly like a 
>>>> periodicity problem - some of the atoms are crossing the periodic 
>>>> boundary and are appearing in strange locations.  Have you even 
>>>> tried trjconv to fix it?  That would be useful information, as I 
>>>> see that Mark long ago also suggested the same sort of fix.
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>It is hard for me to envision what you are seeing.  It 
>>>> would be enormously helpful if you could post images (screenshots, 
>>>> etc) of the problematic structures to get a more expedient resolution.
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>-Justin
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>Thanks a lot
>>>> >>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>Arik
>>>> >>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>Justin A. Lemkul wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>Hi,
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>With regards to your question I do see some periodicity 
>>>> in which for a section of time in the trajectory some of the 
>>>> Calphas in the "detached group" are vanishing from it and reappear 
>>>> in the main protein.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>In addition,
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>I would appreciate as before any suggestion you might 
>>>> have in the matter.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>If this is just a periodicity artifact, fix it with trjconv.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>-Justin
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>Thanks
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>Arik
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>Mark Abraham wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>Hi,
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>Thanks for answering so quickly !. Apparently whole 
>>>> residues have detached from the protein.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>So... like I asked last time, are you seeing a 
>>>> periodicity artefact? "Detached" covers a whole gamut of 
>>>> possibilities.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>Another strange thing that happens in pyMol and VMD is 
>>>> that when I select an atom or a residue in the detached group the 
>>>> selection appears twice: one in the detached group and one in the 
>>>> main part.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>If you've got atoms duplicated, then it sounds like 
>>>> something's going wrong with how they're interpreting the structure 
>>>> file, or how you're manipulating it afterwards. Either way, it's 
>>>> not a problem for the GROMACS mailing list unless you can 
>>>> demonstrate the atoms are duplicated in the structure file (which 
>>>> they aren't!).
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>Mark
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>Arik
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>Mark Abraham wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Arik Cohen wrote:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Dear GROMACS users,
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>While running a simple MD simulation with both a 
>>>> small protein such as BPTI and a larger one such as 
>>>> tmRBP_Unliganded_2FN9.pdb, I'm encountering an odd situation in 
>>>> which one (in the case of BPTI) or several Calphas (in the later 
>>>> case) are "detaching them selfs" from the main group.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>"main group" of what? Do the atoms bound to them move 
>>>> also? Are you seeing a periodicity artefact?
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Mark
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The problem appeared only after adding salt to the 
>>>> simulation(at least in the case of BPTI).
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I would appreciate any suggestions and comments on 
>>>> the matter.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Thanks
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Arik
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The run files are:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*em.mdp:*
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> title               =  tmRBP_Unliganded_2FN9 
>>>> Minimization
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>integrator          =  steep      ; (steep)using 
>>>> steepest descent
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nsteps              =  50000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstlist             =  1
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rlist               =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>coulombtype         =  PME
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rcoulomb            =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>vdw-type            =  cut-off
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rvdw                =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstenergy           =  10
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>emtol               =  5.0 ; tolerance kJ/(Mol -1 
>>>> nm-1) instead of 10.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*pr.mdp
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>title               =  tmRBP_Unliganded_2FN9 PR
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>integrator          =  md
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nsteps              =  50000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>dt                  =  0.002 ;(in ps) doing a 100ps 
>>>> traj.
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>constraints         =  all-bonds
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstlist             =  10 ; neighbour list updates 
>>>> every number of steps
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rlist               =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>coulombtype         =  PME
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rcoulomb            =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>vdw-type            =  cut-off
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rvdw                =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tcoupl              =  Berendsen
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tc-grps             =  Protein non-protein
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tau-t               =  0.1 0.1
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ref-t               =  298 298
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Pcoupl              =  Berendsen
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tau-p               =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>compressibility     =  5e-5 5e-5 5e-5 0 0 0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ref-p               =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstenergy           =  100
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>define              =  -DPOSRES ; include 
>>>> posre.itp(position restraint) file
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*run.md
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>*title               =  tmRBP_Unliganded_2FN9
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>integrator          =  md
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nsteps              =  300000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>dt                  =  0.001
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>constraints         =  all-bonds
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstlist             =  10
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rlist               =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>coulombtype         =  PME
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rcoulomb            =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>vdw-type            =  cut-off
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>rvdw                =  1.0
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tcoupl              =  V-rescale  ;V-rescale
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tc-grps             =  Protein non-protein
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>tau-t               =  0.8 0.8
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ref-t               =  298 298
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstxout             =  1000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstvout             =  1000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstxtcout           =  1000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>nstenergy           =  1000
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The runs commands are(integrated inside a C++ code):
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>SysCommand1 = "echo 6 | pdb2gmx -f " + FileName + " 
>>>> -water tip3p";
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> system("editconf -f conf.gro -bt dodecahedron -d 
>>>> 0.7 -o box.gro");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>system("genbox -cp box.gro -cs spc216.gro -p 
>>>> topol.top -o solvated.gro");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>minimization:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>--------
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> if(Mode == "NoSalt")
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    {
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     system("grompp -f MDP/em.mdp -p topol.top -c 
>>>> solvated.gro -o em.tpr");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>      //system("mpirun -np 4 mdrun -v -deffnm em");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    }
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  if(Mode == "WithSalt")
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    {
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>      system("grompp -f MDP/em.mdp -p topol.top -c 
>>>> solvated.gro -o em.tpr");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>           system("mpirun -np 4 mdrun -v -deffnm em");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    }
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Salting:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>--------
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> system("echo 12 | genion -s em.tpr -conc 0.1 
>>>> -neutral -o solvated.gro");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> pr:
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>----
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>system("grompp -f MDP/prmd.mdp -p topol.top -c 
>>>> em.gro -o pr.tpr");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  /* The actual run*/
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>  system("mpirun -np 4 mdrun -v -deffnm pr");
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>>
>>>> >>>>>
>>>> >>>>
>>>> >>>
>>>> >>
>>>> >
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> ========================================
>>>>
>>>> Justin A. Lemkul
>>>> Ph.D. Candidate
>>>> ICTAS Doctoral Scholar
>>>> MILES-IGERT Trainee
>>>> Department of Biochemistry
>>>> Virginia Tech
>>>> Blacksburg, VA
>>>> jalemkul[at]vt.edu | (540) 231-9080
>>>> http://www.bevanlab.biochem.vt.edu/Pages/Personal/justin
>>>>
>>>> ========================================
>>>> -- 
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