junctions-methods {GenomicAlignments} | R Documentation

## Extract junctions from genomic alignments

### Description

Given an object `x` containing genomic alignments (e.g. a GAlignments, GAlignmentPairs, or GAlignmentsList object), `junctions(x)` extracts the junctions from it and `summarizeJunctions(x)` extracts and summarizes them.

`readTopHatJunctions` and `readSTARJunctions` are utilities for importing the junction file generated by the TopHat and STAR aligners, respectively.

### Usage

    ## junctions() generic and methods
    ## -------------------------------

    junctions(x, use.mcols=FALSE, ...)

    ## S4 method for signature 'GAlignments'
    junctions(x, use.mcols=FALSE)

    ## S4 method for signature 'GAlignmentPairs'
    junctions(x, use.mcols=FALSE)

    ## S4 method for signature 'GAlignmentsList'
    junctions(x, use.mcols=FALSE, ignore.strand=FALSE)

    ## summarizeJunctions() and NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS
    ## ----------------------------------------------

    summarizeJunctions(x, with.revmap=FALSE, genome=NULL)

    NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS

    ## Utilities for importing the junction file generated by some aligners
    ## --------------------------------------------------------------------

    readTopHatJunctions(file, file.is.raw.juncs=FALSE)

    readSTARJunctions(file)

### Arguments

`x` | A GAlignments, GAlignmentPairs, or GAlignmentsList object.
`use.mcols` | `TRUE` or `FALSE` (the default). Whether the metadata columns on `x` (accessible with `mcols(x)`) should be propagated to the returned object or not.
`...` | Additional arguments, for use in specific methods.
`ignore.strand` | `TRUE` or `FALSE` (the default). If set to `TRUE`, then the strand of `x` is set to `"*"` prior to any computation.
`with.revmap` | `TRUE` or `FALSE` (the default). If set to `TRUE`, then a `revmap` metadata column is added to the output of `summarizeJunctions`. This metadata column is an IntegerList object representing the mapping from each element in the ouput (i.e. each junction) to the corresponding elements in the input `x`.
`genome` | `NULL` (the default), or a BSgenome object containing the sequences of the reference genome that was used to align the reads, or the name of this reference genome specified in a way that is accepted by the `getBSgenome` function defined in the BSgenome software package. In that case the corresponding BSgenome data package needs to be already installed (see `?getBSgenome` in the BSgenome package for the details). If `genome` is supplied, then the `intron_motif` and `intron_strand` metadata columns are computed (based on the dinucleotides found at the intron boundaries) and added to the output of `summarizeJunctions`. See the Value section below for a description of these metadata columns.
`file` | The path (or a connection) to the junction file generated by the aligner. This file should be the junctions.bed or new_list.juncs file for `readTopHatJunctions`, and the SJ.out.tab file for `readSTARJunctions`.
`file.is.raw.juncs` | `TRUE` or `FALSE` (the default). If set to `TRUE`, then the input file is assumed to be a TopHat .juncs file instead of the junctions.bed file generated by TopHat. A TopHat .juncs file can be obtained by passing the junctions.bed file thru TopHat's bed_to_juncs script. See the TopHat manual at http://tophat.cbcb.umd.edu/manual.shtml for more information.

### Details

An N operation in the CIGAR of a genomic alignment is interpreted as a junction. `junctions(x)` will return the genomic ranges of all junctions found in `x`.

More precisely, on a GAlignments object `x`, `junctions(x)` is equivalent to:

      psetdiff(granges(x), grglist(x, order.as.in.query=TRUE))

On a GAlignmentPairs object `x`, it's equivalent to (but faster than):

      mendoapply(c, junctions(first(x, real.strand=TRUE)),
                    junctions(last(x, real.strand=TRUE)))

Note that starting with BioC 3.2, the behavior of `junctions` on a GAlignmentPairs object has been slightly modified so that the returned ranges now have the real strand set on them. See the documentation of the `real.strand` argument in the man page of GAlignmentPairs objects for more information.

`NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS` is a predefined character vector containing the 5 natural intron motifs described at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC84117/.

### Value

`junctions(x)` returns the genomic ranges of the junctions in a GRangesList object parallel to `x` (i.e. with 1 list element per element in `x`). If `x` has names on it, they're propagated to the returned object. If `use.mcols` is TRUE and `x` has metadata columns on it (accessible with `mcols(x)`), they're propagated to the returned object.

`summarizeJunctions` returns the genomic ranges of the unique junctions in `x` in an unstranded GRanges object with the following metadata columns:

- `score`: The total number of alignments crossing each junction, i.e. that have the junction encoded in their CIGAR.

- `plus_score` and `minus_score`: The strand-specific number of alignments crossing each junction.

- `revmap`: [Only if `with.revmap` was set to `TRUE`.] An IntegerList object representing the mapping from each element in the ouput (i.e. each junction) to the corresponding elements in input `x`.

- `intron_motif` and `intron_strand`: [Only if `genome` was supplied.] The intron motif and strand for each junction, based on the dinucleotides found in the genome sequences at the intron boundaries. The `intron_motif` metadata column is a factor whose levels are the 5 natural intron motifs stored in predefined character vector `NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS`. If the dinucleotides found at the intron boundaries don't match any of these natural intron motifs, then `intron_motif` and `intron_strand` are set to `NA` and `*`, respectively.

`readTopHatJunctions` and `readSTARJunctions` return the junctions reported in the input file in a stranded GRanges object. With the following metadata columns for `readTopHatJunctions` (when reading in the junctions.bed file):

- `name`: An id assigned by TopHat to each junction. This id is of the form JUNC00000017 and is unique within the junctions.bed file.

- `score`: The total number of alignments crossing each junction.

With the following metadata columns for `readSTARJunctions`:

- `intron_motif` and `intron_strand`: The intron motif and strand for each junction, based on the code found in the input file (0: non-canonical, 1: GT/AG, 2: CT/AC, 3: GC/AG, 4: CT/GC, 5: AT/AC, 6: GT/AT). Note that of the 5 natural intron motifs stored in predefined character vector `NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS`, only the first 3 are assigned codes by the STAR software (2 codes per motif, one if the intron is on the plus strand and one if it's on the minus strand). Thus the `intron_motif` metadata column is a factor with only 3 levels. If code is 0, then `intron_motif` and `intron_strand` are set to `NA` and `*`, respectively.

- `um_reads`: The number of uniquely mapping reads crossing the junction (a pair where the 2 alignments cross the same junction is counted only once).

- `mm_reads`: The number of multi-mapping reads crossing the junction (a pair where the 2 alignments cross the same junction is counted only once).

See STAR manual at https://code.google.com/p/rna-star/ for more information.

### Author(s)

Hervé Pagès

### References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC84117/ for the 5 natural intron motifs stored in predefined character vector `NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS`.

TopHat2: accurate alignment of transcriptomes in the presence of insertions, deletions and gene fusions

- TopHat2 paper: http://genomebiology.com/2013/14/4/r36

- TopHat2 software and manual: http://tophat.cbcb.umd.edu/

STAR: ultrafast universal RNA-seq aligner

- STAR paper: http://bioinformatics.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/10/25/bioinformatics.bts635

- STAR software and manual: https://code.google.com/p/rna-star/

### See Also

- The `readGAlignments` and `readGAlignmentPairs` functions for reading genomic alignments from a BAM file.

- GAlignments, GAlignmentPairs, and GAlignmentsList objects.

- GRanges and GRangesList objects implemented and documented in the GenomicRanges package.

- IntegerList objects implemented and documented in the IRanges package.

- The `getBSgenome` function in the BSgenome package, for searching the installed BSgenome data packages for the specified genome and returning it as a BSgenome object.

- The `extractList` function in the IRanges package, for extracting groups of elements from a vector-like object and returning them into a List object.

### Examples

    library(RNAseqData.HNRNPC.bam.chr14)
    bamfile <- RNAseqData.HNRNPC.bam.chr14_BAMFILES[1]

    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    ## A. junctions()
    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    gal <- readGAlignments(bamfile)
    table(njunc(gal))  # some alignments have 3 junctions!
    juncs <- junctions(gal)
    juncs

    stopifnot(identical(unname(elementNROWS(juncs)), njunc(gal)))

    galp <- readGAlignmentPairs(bamfile)
    juncs <- junctions(galp)
    juncs

    stopifnot(identical(unname(elementNROWS(juncs)), njunc(galp)))

    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    ## B. summarizeJunctions()
    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    ## By default, only the "score", "plus_score", and "minus_score"
    ## metadata columns are returned:
    junc_summary <- summarizeJunctions(gal)
    junc_summary

    ## The "score" metadata column reports the total number of alignments
    ## crossing each junction, i.e., that have the junction encoded in their
    ## CIGAR:
    median(mcols(junc_summary)$score)

    ## The "plus_score" and "minus_score" metadata columns report the
    ## strand-specific number of alignments crossing each junction:
    stopifnot(identical(mcols(junc_summary)$score,
                        mcols(junc_summary)$plus_score +
                        mcols(junc_summary)$minus_score))

    ## If 'with.revmap' is TRUE, the "revmap" metadata column is added to
    ## the output. This metadata column is an IntegerList object represen-
    ## ting the mapping from each element in the ouput (i.e. a junction) to
    ## the corresponding elements in the input 'x'. Here we're going to use
    ## this to compute a 'score2' for each junction. We obtain this score
    ## by summing the mapping qualities of the alignments crossing the
    ## junction:
    gal <- readGAlignments(bamfile, param=ScanBamParam(what="mapq"))
    junc_summary <- summarizeJunctions(gal, with.revmap=TRUE)
    junc_score2 <- sum(extractList(mcols(gal)$mapq,
                                   mcols(junc_summary)$revmap))
    mcols(junc_summary)$score2 <- junc_score2

    ## If the name of the reference genome is specified thru the 'genome'
    ## argument (in which case the corresponding BSgenome data package needs
    ## to be installed), then summarizeJunctions() returns the intron motif
    ## and strand for each junction.
    ## Since the reads in RNAseqData.HNRNPC.bam.chr14 were aligned to
    ## the hg19 genome, the following requires that you have
    ## BSgenome.Hsapiens.UCSC.hg19 installed:
    junc_summary <- summarizeJunctions(gal, with.revmap=TRUE, genome="hg19")
    mcols(junc_summary)$score2 <- junc_score2  # putting 'score2' back

    ## The "intron_motif" metadata column is a factor whose levels are the
    ## 5 natural intron motifs stored in predefined character vector
    ## 'NATURAL_INTRON_MOTIFS':
    table(mcols(junc_summary)$intron_motif)

    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    ## C. STRANDED RNA-seq PROTOCOL
    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    ## Here is a simple test for checking whether the RNA-seq protocol was
    ## stranded or not:
    strandedTest <- function(plus_score, minus_score)
        (sum(plus_score ^ 2) + sum(minus_score ^ 2)) /
            sum((plus_score + minus_score) ^ 2)

    ## The result of this test is guaranteed to be >= 0.5 and <= 1.
    ## If, for each junction, the strand of the crossing alignments looks
    ## random (i.e. "plus_score" and "minus_score" are close), then
    ## strandedTest() will return a value close to 0.5. If it doesn't look
    ## random (i.e. for each junction, one of "plus_score" and "minus_score"
    ## is much bigger than the other), then strandedTest() will return a
    ## value close to 1.

    ## If the reads are single-end, the test is meaningful when applied
    ## directly on 'junc_summary'. However, for the test to be meaningful
    ## on paired-end reads, it needs to be applied on the first and last
    ## alignments separately:
    junc_summary1 <- summarizeJunctions(first(galp))
    junc_summary2 <- summarizeJunctions(last(galp))
    strandedTest(mcols(junc_summary1)$plus_score,
                 mcols(junc_summary1)$minus_score)
    strandedTest(mcols(junc_summary2)$plus_score,
                 mcols(junc_summary2)$minus_score)
    ## Both values are close to 0.5 which suggests that the RNA-seq protocol
    ## used for this experiment was not stranded.

    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    ## D. UTILITIES FOR IMPORTING THE JUNCTION FILE GENERATED BY SOME
    ##    ALIGNERS
    ## ---------------------------------------------------------------------

    ## The TopHat aligner generates a junctions.bed file where it reports
    ## all the junctions satisfying some "quality" criteria (see the TopHat
    ## manual at http://tophat.cbcb.umd.edu/manual.shtml for more
    ## information). This file can be loaded with readTopHatJunctions():
    runname <- names(RNAseqData.HNRNPC.bam.chr14_BAMFILES)[1]
    junctions_file <- system.file("extdata", "tophat2_out", runname,
                                  "junctions.bed",
                                  package="RNAseqData.HNRNPC.bam.chr14")
    th_junctions <- readTopHatJunctions(junctions_file)

    ## Comparing the "TopHat junctions" with the result of
    ## summarizeJunctions():
    th_junctions14 <- th_junctions
    seqlevels(th_junctions14, pruning.mode="coarse") <- "chr14"
    mcols(th_junctions14)$intron_strand <- strand(th_junctions14)
    strand(th_junctions14) <- "*"

    ## All the "TopHat junctions" are in 'junc_summary':
    stopifnot(all(th_junctions14 %in% junc_summary))

    ## But not all the junctions in 'junc_summary' are reported by TopHat
    ## (that's because TopHat reports only junctions that satisfy some
    ## "quality" criteria):
    is_in_th_junctions14 <- junc_summary %in% th_junctions14
    table(is_in_th_junctions14)  # 32 junctions are not in TopHat's
                                 # junctions.bed file
    junc_summary2 <- junc_summary[is_in_th_junctions14]

    ## 'junc_summary2' and 'th_junctions14' contain the same junctions in
    ## the same order:
    stopifnot(all(junc_summary2 == th_junctions14))

    ## Let's merge their metadata columns. We use our own version of
    ## merge() for this, which is stricter (it checks that the common
    ## columns are the same in the 2 data frames to merge) and also
    ## simpler:
    merge2 <- function(df1, df2)
    {
        common_colnames <- intersect(colnames(df1), colnames(df2))
        lapply(common_colnames,
               function(colname)
                 stopifnot(all(df1[ , colname] == df2[ , colname])))
        extra_mcolnames <- setdiff(colnames(df2), colnames(df1))
        cbind(df1, df2[ , extra_mcolnames, drop=FALSE])
    }

    mcols(th_junctions14) <- merge2(mcols(th_junctions14),
                                    mcols(junc_summary2))

    ## Here is a peculiar junction reported by TopHat:
    idx0 <- which(mcols(th_junctions14)$score2 == 0L)
    th_junctions14[idx0]
    gal[mcols(th_junctions14)$revmap[[idx0]]]
    ## The junction is crossed by 5 alignments (score is 5), all of which
    ## have a mapping quality of 0!

[Package GenomicAlignments version 1.20.1 Index]