I would suggest depositors take a look at the PDB Exchange
Dictionary and at the following definitions:
_atom_site.auth_seq_id
An alternative identifier for _atom_site.label_seq_id that
may be provided by an author in order to match the
identification
used in the publication that describes the structure.
Note that this is not necessarily a number, that the values do
not have to be positive, and that the value does not have to
correspond to the value of _atom_site.label_seq_id. The value
of _atom_site.label_seq_id is required to be a sequential list
of positive integers.
The author may assign values to _atom_site.auth_seq_id in any
desired way. For instance, the values may be used to relate
this structure to a numbering scheme in a homologous structure,
including sequence gaps or insertion codes. Alternatively, a
scheme may be used for a truncated polymer that maintains the
numbering scheme of the full length polymer. In all cases, the
scheme used here must match the scheme used in the publication
that describes the structure.
_atom_site.label_seq_id
This data item is a pointer to _entity_poly_seq.num in the
ENTITY_POLY_SEQ category.
_entity_poly_seq.num
The value of _entity_poly_seq.num must uniquely and sequentially
identify a record in the ENTITY_POLY_SEQ list.
Note that this item must be a number and that the sequence
numbers must progress in increasing numerical order.
So, at the very least, the PDB's internal database and mmCIF and PDBML
files should be able to handle _both_ the simplified numbering the
annotator wishes to impose, and the more scientifically useful notation
an author might use to place their structure in context. It should be
a "simple" matter of programming for the PDB to produce "PDB" entries done
either way.
One should also note the the entire system of insertion codes does not
make much sense without the broader contextual view of families of
structures.
Regards,
Herbert
At 2:33 PM -0400 9/19/08, Frances C. Bernstein wrote:
>I was at the PDB from 1974 - 1998 and closely involved with
>processing entries 15 to ~9000. We also designed the "PDB
>format". My replies were based on what was done for those 24
>years and I cannot address what is currently being done at the PDB.
>
>I do not know if the current PDB staff follows this bulletin
>board and I can only suggest that you take this matter up
>with the current PDB management, the community, and the PDB
>advisory board.
>
> Frances
>
>=====================================================
>**** Bernstein + Sons
>* * Information Systems Consultants
>**** 5 Brewster Lane, Bellport, NY 11713-2803
>* * ***
>**** * Frances C. Bernstein
> * *** [log in to unmask]
> *** *
> * *** 1-631-286-1339 FAX: 1-631-286-1999
>=====================================================
>
>On Fri, 19 Sep 2008, Linda Brinen wrote:
>
>>I'm actually pleased to read your response and interpretation of
>>what is allowable and why, Frances. However, it's it pretty stark
>>contrast to what I was told about 18 months ago when I struggled
>>(and eventually lost) to preserve a numbering scheme that had a
>>long standing historical and literature precedence when submitting
>>a new structure to the PDB.
>>
>>This was a two-domain protein; the first domain - according to
>>historical numbering - had a number plus a letter code to indicate
>>the domain; the second domain, which started again with the number
>>1 - had no letter code. We were told that that was not allowed. We
>>wanted to preserve insertions and deletions as well, but were also
>>strongly discouraged, if not flat out told we could not. While it's
>>not usually prudent to quote offline e-mail exchanges, I'm going to
>>snip pertinent pieces of the discussion (I'm leaving the original
>>spelling errors and text bolding in place) with no indication of
>>the annotator who wrote these guidelines to our group. Here's part
>>of one of the many 'exchanges' that was had:
>>
>>"I understand your point and that certain close research
>>communities have certain habits and traditions but the PDB serves
>>to the whole community of structural biology, bioinformatics, to
>>many educators, students... In all these cases, the simplest
>>possible numbering of sequences, ideally numbering identical to the
>>numbering used by the UNP sequence database, is far the most useful
>>because easiest to understand. I do not say this because it is in
>>our manuals and help pages but because I have eight years of
>>experience with annotation of all kinds of structures. I would
>>therefore very much like to ask you to reconsider the way how you
>>number your protein, your numbering schema is *interpretation* more
>>than a mere labeling schema. Needles to say, no sequence numbering
>>can satisfy this ambition...from my point of view, especially the
>>jump from 96P back to 1 will cause a lot of confusion and
>>misunderstanding....look at the problem from a standpoint of a
>>general naturalist instead of an narrow protease community"
>>
>>
>>This left us with a mandated 'start from 1 and number sequentially'
>>format that did exactly the opposite of what you, Frances,
>>correctly mention as important in any numbering scheme: preserve
>>relationships with other proteins. We've had to resort to
>>providing 'translation tables' that identify what people were
>>expecting to see as numbers for active site residues which now have
>>new and non-sensical numbering. Is it the end of the world? Of
>>course not. But neither is it necessarily the best scientific or
>>logical presentation.
>>
>>At the risk of inciting a rather....animated...dialogue on this
>>topic, what has your experience been with this kind of thing (i.e.,
>>were we just unlucky??) and do current practices make sense and
>>serve the community??
>>
>>-Linda
>>
>>
>>Frances C. Bernstein wrote:
>>>All entries list atoms starting at the N-terminus (or 5') so
>>>connectivity goes in the order of the atoms in the file -
>>>obviously with the possibility of unconnected portions
>>>where the density is inadequate.
>>>
>>>The entire philosphy of allowing numbering other than 1 - N
>>>had to do with preserving relationships with other proteins.
>>>The most common use relates to having an initial sequence 1 - N
>>>and then a similar sequence from another species with insertions
>>>and/or gaps. People wanted to be able to talk about the active
>>>site (which was preserved) using the same residue numbers.
>>>Negative numbers came up with additions at the N-terminus.
>>>Offhand, I don't recall why descending numbers were used but
>>>I believe that there is at least one such entry.
>>>
>>> Frances
>>>=====================================================
>>>**** Bernstein + Sons
>>>* * Information Systems Consultants
>>>**** 5 Brewster Lane, Bellport, NY 11713-2803
>>>* * ***
>>>**** * Frances C. Bernstein
>>> * *** [log in to unmask]
>>> *** *
>>> * *** 1-631-286-1339 FAX: 1-631-286-1999
>>>=====================================================
>>>
>>>On Fri, 19 Sep 2008, Ian Tickle wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>But what connectivity would be implied by descending numbers: the order
>>>>in the file or the order of the numbering? I assume the former,
>>>>otherwise what would be the point of having descending numbering? And I
>>>>wonder how many programs would baulk at it (or even at ascending
>>>>negative numbers?).
>>>>
>>>>-- Ian
>>>>
>>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>>From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>>>On
>>>>>Behalf Of Frances C. Bernstein
>>>>>Sent: 19 September 2008 16:44
>>>>>To: Todd Geders
>>>>>Cc: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>Subject: Re: [ccp4bb] Non-sequential residue numbering?
>>>>>
>>>>>As long as each residue within a chain has a unique identifier
>>>>>(residue number plus insertion code), there is no restriction
>>>>>on numbering. The numbers can be in ascending or descending
>>>>>order, non-sequential, and even negative.
>>>>>
>>>>> Frances
>>>>>
>>>>>=====================================================
>>>>>**** Bernstein + Sons
>>>>>* * Information Systems Consultants
>>>>>**** 5 Brewster Lane, Bellport, NY 11713-2803
>>>>>* * ***
>>>>>**** * Frances C. Bernstein
>>>>> * *** [log in to unmask]
>>>>> *** *
>>>>> * *** 1-631-286-1339 FAX: 1-631-286-1999
>>>>>=====================================================
>>>>>
>>>>>On Fri, 19 Sep 2008, Todd Geders wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>Hello all,
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I have a structure from a non-natural fusion of the truncated
>>>>C-terminus
>>>>>of
>>>>>>one protein with the truncated N-terminus of another. For the
>>>>>deposition, we
>>>>>>want to keep the numbering as found in the separate proteins. It
>>>>looks
>>>>>>something like this:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1 12
>>>>>> | |
>>>>>>....HWVCKDIALLMCFFLEEMSEEP....
>>>>>> | |
>>>>>>754 763
>>>>>>
>>>>>>At no point is there an overlap in numbering (i.e. the N-terminal
>>>>>residue
>>>>>>number is higher than the C-terminal residue number).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Is this numbering scheme supported by the PDB standard? Thus far,
>>>>all
>>>>>of the
>>>>>>software seems to handle it (refmac, Coot, PyMOL, pdb_extract, PDB
>>>>>precheck &
>>>>>>validation, etc).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Can anyone see a reason to not deposit with this non-sequential
>>>>residue
>>>>>>numbering?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>~Todd
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
>>--
>>Linda S. Brinen
>>Adjunct Assistant Professor
>>Dept of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology and
>>The Sandler Center for Basic Research in Parasitic Diseases
>>Phone: 415-514-3426 FAX: 415-502-8193
>>E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>>QB3/Byers Hall 508C
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--
=====================================================
Herbert J. Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science
Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY, 11769
+1-631-244-3035
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=====================================================
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