No alignment produced ClustalW with python wrapper

Question

[josephine.yates]

Hello to all,

I am trying to produce alignments from fasta files with the ClustalwCommandline as explained in the Biopython tutorial. However, even though I do not get an error message, no alignment is produced from my code and I do not understand why.

If someone could help me with this issue, it would be of great help.

Here is my current code:

def score_align(reffile):
    clustalw_exe = r"C:\Users\josep\Anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\Bio\Align\Applications\_Clustalw.py"
    assert os.path.isfile(clustalw_exe), "Clustal W executable missing"
    cline=ClustalwCommandline(clustalw_exe, infile=reffile+".fasta", type="PROTEIN", output="FASTA", outfile=reffile+"_aligned.fasta", quiet=True)
    cline()

score_align("balibase/RV11.unaligned/BBS11001")

I have tried using the python subprocess to run to get an error message this way:

def score_align(reffile):
    clustalw_exe = r"C:\Users\josep\Anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\Bio\Align\Applications\_Clustalw.py"
    assert os.path.isfile(clustalw_exe), "Clustal W executable missing"
    child = subprocess.call(str(clustalw_exe)+" -align -infile="+reffile_name+".fasta -seqnos ON -type protein", shell=True)
    print(child)

score_align("balibase/RV11.unaligned/BBS11001")

this returned 0 (from what I gathered it means the execution went well and I should have a .aln file.

Thank you for your help.

[GenoMax]

Please use the formatting bar (especially the code option) to present your post better. I've done it for you this time.

Thank you!

[josephine.yates]

I'm sorry, it's my first post I didn't know it wouldn't format it. Thank you for doing it this time !

[GenoMax]

No worries.

clustalw_exe = r"C:\Users\josep\Anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\Bio\Align\Applications\_Clustalw.py"

Based on the slashes looks like you are using Windows? If so you are not pointing to the actual clustalw executable/program. It should be something like clustalw.exe.

[carla.boudargham]

I am having the same problem... did you solve it ?