NAME

Align::NW - Needleman-Wunsch algorithm for optimal global sequence alignment

SYNOPSIS

    use Align::NW;
  
    $payoff = { match      => $match,
		mismatch   => $mismatch,
		gap_open   => $gap_open,
		gap_extend => $gap_extend };
  
    $nw = new Align::NW $a, $b, $payoff, %options
    $nw->score;
    $nw->align;
  
    $score = $nw->get_score;
    $align = $nw->get_align;
    $nw->print_align;

DESCRIPTION

Align::NW finds the optimal global alignment of the sequences $a and $b, subject to the $payoff matrix.

Algorithm

Align::NW uses the Needleman-Wunsch dynamic programming algorithm. This algorithm runs in O(a*b*(a+b)), where a and b are the lengths of the two sequences to be aligned.

Alignments

An alignment of two sequences is represented by three lines. The top line shows the first sequence, and the bottom line shows the second sequence.

The middle line has a row of symbols. The symbol is a vertical bar where ever characters in the two sequences match, and a space where ever they do not.

Dots may be inserted in either sequence to represent gaps.

For example, the two sequences

    abcdefghajklm
    abbdhijk

could be aligned like this

    abcdefghajklm
    || |   | || 
    abbd...hijk

As shown, there are 6 matches, 2 mismatches, and one gap of length 3.

Align::NW retuns an alignment as a hash

    $align = { a => $a,
	       s => $s,
	       b => $b };

$a and $b are the two sequences. $s is the line of symbols.

The Payoff Matrix

The alignment is scored according to a payoff matrix

    $payoff = { match    => $match,
		mismatch => $mismatch,
		gap_open   	 => $gap_open,
		gap_extend 	 => $gap_extend };

The entries in the matrix are the number of points added to the score

For correct operation, match must be positive, and the other entries must be negative.

Example

Given the payoff matrix

   $payoff = { match      =>  4,
	       mismatch   => -3,
	       gap_open   => -2,
	       gap_extend => -1 };

The sequences

    abcdefghajklm
    abbdhijk

are aligned and scored like this

                a b c d e f g h a j k l m
                | |   |       |   | | 
                a b b d . . . h i j k
    match       4 4   4       4   4 4  
    mismatch       -3          -3
    gap_open           -2
    gap_extend         -1-1-1

for a total score of 24-6-2-3 = 15. The algorithm guarantees that no other alignment of these two sequences has a higher score under this payoff matrix.

METHODS

$nw = new Align::NW $a, $b, $payoff, %options
Creates and returns a new Align::NW object. $a and $b are the sequences to be aligned. $payoff is the payoff matrix, described above. Additional options maybe passed in the %options hash; see /OPTIONS for details.
$nw->score
Fills in the score matrix for $nw. This is the O(a*b*(a+b)) operation.
$nw->align
Backtracks through the score matrix and generates an alignment for the two sequences. score must be called before align.
$score = $nw->get_score
Returns the score of the alignment. score must be called before get_score.
$align = $nw->get_align
Returns the alignment of the two sequences, as described above in /Alignments. align must be called before get_align.
$nw->print_align
Pretty prints the alignment to STDOUT. align must be called before print_align.

OPTIONS

Options may be passed to new in the %options hash. The following options are defined.

-v
Verbose output. Prints some dots to STDERR. Useful for monitoring the progress of large alignments.

SEE ALSO

There are usually some some tutorials on Needleman-Wunsch and Smith-Waterman alignment floating around on the web. I used to provide links to some, but they kept going 404. If you Google around a bit you can probably find a current one.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

AUTHOR

Steven W. McDougall, <swmcd@theworld.com>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 1999-2003 by Steven W. McDougall. This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.