[gmx-users] Ions and charge groups

Justin A. Lemkul jalemkul at vt.edu
Tue Nov 30 20:07:23 CET 2010



Guido Polles wrote:
> Hi everybody,
> 
> Sorry about this, but I'm pretty new to gromacs and I couldn't find
> any clue about my problem in the archives or in the manual.
> I'm using gromacs 4.5.1, and my system is a rather big system (about
> 12x12x12) that includes a proteon, an atp molecule, water and some
> ions.
> I am using ffamber99sb force field. Now, I post the log for my mdrun.
> 
>   Initializing Domain Decomposition on 2 nodes
>   Dynamic load balancing: auto
>   Will sort the charge groups at every domain (re)decomposition
>   Initial maximum inter charge-group distances:
>      two-body bonded interactions: 14.813 nm, LJ-14, atoms 25682 25685
>      multi-body bonded interactions: 14.813 nm, Angle, atoms 25685 25686
>   Minimum cell size due to bonded interactions: 16.294 nm
>   Using 0 separate PME nodes
>   Scaling the initial minimum size with 1/0.8 (option -dds) = 1.25
>   Optimizing the DD grid for 2 cells with a minimum initial size of 20.368 nm
>   The maximum allowed number of cells is: X 0 Y 0 Z 0
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------
> Program mdrun, VERSION 4.5.1
> Source code file: domdec.c, line: 6428
> 
> Fatal error:
> There is no domain decomposition for 2 nodes that is compatible with
> the given box and a minimum cell size of 20.368 nm
> Change the number of nodes or mdrun option -rdd or -dds
> Look in the log file for details on the domain decomposition
> For more information and tips for troubleshooting, please check the GROMACS
> website at http://www.gromacs.org/Documentation/Errors
> 
> Of course the main point here is this
> 
>   Initial maximum inter charge-group distances:
>       two-body bonded interactions: 14.813 nm, LJ-14, atoms 25682 25685
>       multi-body bonded interactions: 14.813 nm, Angle, atoms 25685 25686
> 
> but they're CL ions! Why should they have any bonded interaction or
> angle interaction??

They shouldn't.  Check your [bonds] and [angles] directives for these atom 
numbers.  Apparently mdrun is finding bonds to these ions in your topology. 
Were these ions added with genion?  Present in the initial structure processed 
by pdb2gmx?  Manually added in some location?

> Actually, I made some tests, and:
> 
> 1- if I solvate the protein+atp+ions  (I want the ions to be in
> specific positions) system I get that 14nm bond error when I run
> mdrun, but grompp let it go.

OK, so you want ions in specific positions.  Did you put them there?  If so, was 
it before or after you generated the topology (presumably with pdb2gmx)?

> 2- in this situation, if I move in the gro file the coords for the
> ions after the water, same happens but now grompp throws a warning
> about charge group distance.

That's probably related to the contents of your .mdp file, which you haven't 
posted.  It may or may not be related to the problem at hand.

> 3- if I solvate then use genion to include the ions at least the
> simulation starts. Then I get this error "A charge group moved too far
> between two domain decomposition steps", but that is probably related
> to my system
> 

That error message indicates your system has become unstable, likely due to 
insufficient energy minimization or equilibration, or incorrect .mdp settings.

http://www.gromacs.org/Documentation/Terminology/Blowing_Up

-Justin

> I really don't get what's going on here.
> Thank you in advance for any feedback.
> 
> Guido

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

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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