MSAexplorer is a python package and also a standalone app to analyse multiple sequence alignments and generate publication ready figures. Want to just use MSAexplorer and generate publication ready figures? The curently stable version of the MSAexplorer app is hosted on github pages.

Requirements

python >= python 3.11

Requirements:

• matplotlib>=3.8
• numpy>=2.0
• shiny>=1.3
• shinywidgets>=0.5.2
• plotly>=5.23

And optionally tools for in-app calculations (aligning and trimming):

• pyfamsa>=0.5.3
• pytrimal>=0.8.1

Installation

Via pip (recommended)

pip install msaexplorer # or
# additionally installs pyfamsa and pytrimal (not required, but optional in the app)
pip install msaexplorer[process]

From this repo

git clone https://github.com/jonas-fuchs/MSAexplorer
cd MSAexplorer
pip install . # or
pip install .[process]

Features of MSAexplorer as an app

usage:  msaexplorer --run

The MSAexplorer app is an interactive visualization tool designed for exploring multiple sequence alignments (MSAs).

options:
  -h, --help  show this help message and exit
  --run       Run the MSAexplorer app
  --version   show program version and exit
  

• ✅ The app runs solely in your browser. No need to install anything, just might take a few seconds to load.
• ✅ Use the app offline (after loading it).
• ✅ Analyse alignments on your smartphone or tablet.
• ✅ Download alignment statistics (e.g. entropy, SNPs, coverage, consensus, ORFs and more).
• ✅ Annotate the alignment by additionally reading in gb, gff or bed files.
• ✅ Flexibility to customize plots and colors.
• ✅ Easily export the plot as pdf.
• ✅ Generate plots of the whole alignment as well as just parts of it.
• ✅ Publication ready figures with just a few clicks.

Hosting MSAexplorer yourself

If you want to host MSAexplorer e.g. for your group, you can export the app as a static html with a few easy steps. However, in-app calculations with pyfamsa and pytrimal are currently not supported.

# install shinylive for exporting
pip install shinylive
git clone https://github.com/jonas-fuchs/MSAexplorer
cd MSAexplorer
shinylive export ./ site/  # you should now have a new 'site' folder with the app

Features of MSAexplorer as a python package (full documentation)

• ✅ Access MSAexplorer as a python package
• ✅ Maximum flexibility for the plotting and analysis features while retaining minimal syntax.
• ✅ Integrates seamlessly with matplotlib.
• ✅ Minimal requirements.

### Minimal analysis example ###

from msaexplorer import explore, export

# load the alignment
aln = explore.MSA('example_alignments/DNA.fasta')
print(aln.aln_type)  # print alignment type
print(aln.length)  # print alignment length

# adjust what you want to look at
aln.reference_id = 'AB032031.1 Borna disease virus 1 genomic RNA, complete genome'  # set a reference if needed
aln.zoom = (0, 1000)  # set a zoom range

# now print for example all snps in that zoom range compared to the reference id
snps = aln.get_snps(include_ambig=True)
print(snps)
# and then save to file
export.snps(snps, path='my_path/snps.vcf', format_type='vcf')

# see documentation for full usage

### Two minimal plotting examples ###

from msaexplorer import explore, draw
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

# Example 1
draw.identity_alignment('example_alignments/DNA.fasta')
plt.show()

# Example 2
aln = explore.MSA('example_alignments/DNA.fasta')
# adjust zoom levels (for example to also plot sequence text)
aln.zoom = (0,60)
plt.figure(figsize=(10,12))  # adjust so the sequence text fits in your figure well
draw.identity_alignment(aln, show_identity_sequence=True)
plt.show()

### Extended plotting example  ####

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from msaexplorer import explore
from msaexplorer import draw

#  load alignment
aln = explore.MSA("example_alignments/DNA.fasta", reference_id=None, zoom_range=None)
# set reference to first sequence
aln.reference_id = list(aln.alignment.keys())[0]

fig, ax = plt.subplots(nrows=2, height_ratios=[0.2, 2], sharex=False)

draw.stat_plot(
    aln,
    ax[0],
    stat_type="entropy",
    rolling_average=1,
    line_color="indigo"
)

draw.identity_alignment(
    aln,
    ax[1],
    show_gaps=False,
    show_mask=True,
    show_mismatches=True,
    reference_color='lightsteelblue',
    color_scheme='purine_pyrimidine',
    show_seq_names=False,
    show_ambiguities=True,
    fancy_gaps=True,
    show_x_label=False,
    show_legend=True,
    bbox_to_anchor=(1,1.05)
)

plt.show()