Biopython gives ValueError: Sequences must all be the same length even though sequences are of the same length

Question

[KHP]

This is the first time I'm doing this. I'm trying to create a phylogenetic tree by making a .phy file from my data.

I have a dataframe:

> ndf = 
>ESV trunc
>1 esv1 TACGTAGGTG...
>2 esv2 TACGGAGGGT...
>3 esv3 TACGGGGGG...
>7 esv7 TACGTAGGGT...

I checked the length of the elements of the column "trunc":

length_checker = np.vectorize(len)
arr_len = length_checker(ndf['trunc'])

The resulting arr_len gives the same length (=253) for all the elements.

I saved this dataframe as .phy file, which looks like this:

>23 253
>esv1 TACGTAGGTGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGCGCGCAGGCGGTTTCTTAAGTCTGATGTGAAAGCCCACGGCTCAACCGTGGAGGGTCATTGGAAACTGGGAAACTTGAGTGCAGAAGAGGAAAGCGGAATTCCACGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGAGATGTGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTTCTGGTCTGTAACTGACGCTGAGGCGCGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGG
>esv2 TACGGAGGGTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTCACTGGGTTTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGTGGGTTGGTAAGTCAGTGGTGAAATCTCCGAGCTTAACTTGGAAACTGCCATTGATACTATTAATCTTGAATATTGTGGAGGTTAGCGGAATATGTCATGTAGCGGTGAAATGCTTAGAGATGACATAGAACACCAATTGCGAAGGCAGCTGGCTACACATATATTGACACTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGATCAAACAGG
>esv3 TACGGGGGGGGCAAGCGTTGTTCGGAATTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGCGCGTAGGCGGCCAGACCAAGTCGAGTGTGAAATTGCAGGGCTTAACTTTGCAGGGTCGCTCGATACTGGTCGGCTAGAGTGTGGAAGAGGGTACTGGAATTCCCGGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATCGGGAGGAACACCAGCGGCGAAGGCGGGTACCTGGGCCAACACTGACGCTGAGGCGCGAAAGCTAGGGGAGCAAACAG

This is similar to the file used in this tutorial.

However, when I run the command

aln = AlignIO.read('msa.phy', 'phylip')

I get

ValueError: Sequences must all be the same length

I don't know why I'm getting this or how to fix it. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks

[Ram]

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Answer 1

[Andrzej Zielezinski]

The problem is with your msa.phy file. Phylip format has certain specifications.

Your file should look like this:

3 253
esv1      TACGTAGGTGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCGCGCGCAGGCGGTTTCTTAAGTCTGATGTGAAAGCCCACGGCTCAACCGTGGAGGGTCATTGGAAACTGGGAAACTTGAGTGCAGAAGAGGAAAGCGGAATTCCACGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGAGATGTGGAGGAACACCAGTGGCGAAGGCGGCTTTCTGGTCTGTAACTGACGCTGAGGCGCGAAAGCGTGGGGAGCAAACAGG
esv2      TACGGAGGGTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTCACTGGGTTTAAAGGGTGCGTAGGTGGGTTGGTAAGTCAGTGGTGAAATCTCCGAGCTTAACTTGGAAACTGCCATTGATACTATTAATCTTGAATATTGTGGAGGTTAGCGGAATATGTCATGTAGCGGTGAAATGCTTAGAGATGACATAGAACACCAATTGCGAAGGCAGCTGGCTACACATATATTGACACTGAGGCACGAAAGCGTGGGGATCAAACAGG
esv3      TACGGGGGGGGCAAGCGTTGTTCGGAATTACTGGGCGTAAAGGGCGCGTAGGCGGCCAGACCAAGTCGAGTGTGAAATTGCAGGGCTTAACTTTGCAGGGTCGCTCGATACTGGTCGGCTAGAGTGTGGAAGAGGGTACTGGAATTCCCGGTGTAGCGGTGAAATGCGTAGATATCGGGAGGAACACCAGCGGCGAAGGCGGGTACCTGGGCCAACACTGACGCTGAGGCGCGAAAGCTAGGGGAGCAAACAG

Python code:

from Bio import AlignIO
aln = AlignIO.read('msa.phy', 'phylip')
print(aln)

Output:

SingleLetterAlphabet() alignment with 3 rows and 253 columns
TACGTAGGTGGCGAGCGTTATCCGGAATTATTGGGCGTAAAGCG...AGG esv1
TACGGAGGGTGCAAGCGTTATCCGGATTCACTGGGTTTAAAGGG...AGG esv2
TACGGGGGGGGCAAGCGTTGTTCGGAATTACTGGGCGTAAAGGG...CAG esv