findChunks {segmentSeq} | R Documentation

## Identifies ‘chunks’ of data within a set of aligned reads.

### Description

This function identifies chunks of data within a set of aligned reads by looking for gaps within the alignments; regions where no reads align. If we assume that a locus should not contain a gap of sufficient length, then we can separate the analysis of the data into chunks defined by these gaps, reducing the complexity of the problem of segmentation.

### Usage

    findChunks(alignments, gap, checkDuplication = TRUE, justChunks = FALSE)

### Arguments

`alignments` | A `GRanges` object defining a set of aligned reads.
`gap` | The minimum length of a gap across which it is assumed that no locus can exist.
`checkDuplication` | Should we check whether or not reads are duplicated within a chunk? Defaults to TRUE.
`justChunks` | If TRUE, returns a vector of the chunks rather than the GRanges object with chunks attached. Defaults to FALSE.

### Details

This function is called by the `readGeneric` and `readBAM` functions but may usefully be called again if filtering of an `linkS4class{alignmentData}` object has altered the data present, or to increase the computational effort required for subsequent analysis. The lower the ‘gap’ parameter used to define the chunks, the faster (though potentially less accurate) any subsequent analyses will be.

### Value

A modified `GRanges` object, now containing columns ‘chunk’ and ‘chunkDup’ (if 'checkDuplication' is TRUE), identifying the chunk to which the alignment belongs and whether the alignment of the tag is duplicated within the chunk respectively.

### Author(s)

Thomas J. Hardcastle

### Examples

    # Define the files containing sample information.

    datadir <- system.file("extdata", package = "segmentSeq")
    libfiles <- c("SL9.txt", "SL10.txt", "SL26.txt", "SL32.txt")

    # Establish the library names and replicate structure.

    libnames <- c("SL9", "SL10", "SL26", "SL32")
    replicates <- c(1,1,2,2)

    # Read the files to produce an `alignmentData' object.

    alignData <- readGeneric(file = libfiles, dir = datadir, replicates =
    replicates, libnames = libnames, gap = 100)

    # Filter the data on number of matches of each tag to the genome

    alignData <- alignData[values(alignData@alignments)$matches < 5,]

    # Redefine the chunking structure of the data.

    alignData <- findChunks(alignData@alignments, gap = 100)

[Package segmentSeq version 2.18.0 Index]