varvamp 1.2.2__py3-none-any.whl → 1.3__py3-none-any.whl

varvamp/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
-"""Tool to design amplicons for highly variable virusgenomes"""
-_program = "varvamp"
-__version__ = "1.2.2"
+from importlib.metadata import version, PackageNotFoundError
+
+try:
+    __version__ = version("varvamp")
+except PackageNotFoundError:
+    __version__ = "unknown"

varvamp/command.py

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import sys
 import os
 import datetime
 import argparse
-import multiprocessing
 
 # varVAMP
 from varvamp.scripts import alignment
@@ -22,7 +21,6 @@ from varvamp.scripts import reporting
 from varvamp.scripts import scheme
 from varvamp.scripts import blast
 from varvamp import __version__
-from . import _program
 
 
 def get_args(sysargs):
@@ -30,7 +28,6 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
     arg parsing for varvamp
     """
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
-        prog=_program,
         usage='''\tvarvamp <mode> --help\n\tvarvamp <mode> [mode optional arguments] <alignment> <output dir>''')
     mode_parser = parser.add_subparsers(
         title="varvamp mode",
@@ -49,7 +46,7 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
     QPCR_parser = mode_parser.add_parser(
         "qpcr",
         help="design qPCR primers",
-        usage="varvamp qpcr [optional arguments] <alignment> <output dir>"
+        usage="varvamp qpcr -t <threshold> [optional arguments] <alignment> <output dir>"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "input",
@@ -57,20 +54,12 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
         help="alignment file and dir to write results"
     )
     for par in (SINGLE_parser, TILED_parser, QPCR_parser):
-        par.add_argument(
-            "-t",
-            "--threshold",
-            metavar="",
-            type=float,
-            default=None,
-            help="threshold for consensus nucleotides"
-        )
         par.add_argument(
             "-a",
             "--n-ambig",
-            metavar="",
+            metavar="2",
             type=int,
-            default=None,
+            default=2,
             help="max number of ambiguous characters in a primer"
         )
         par.add_argument(
@@ -96,7 +85,23 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
             type=str,
             default="varVAMP"
         )
+        par.add_argument(
+            "--compatible-primers",
+            metavar="None",
+            type=str,
+            default=None,
+            help="FASTA primer file with which new primers should not form dimers. Sequences >40 nt are ignored. Can significantly increase runtime."
+        )
+
     for par in (SINGLE_parser, TILED_parser):
+        par.add_argument(
+            "-t",
+            "--threshold",
+            metavar="",
+            type=float,
+            default=None,
+            help="consensus threshold (0-1) - if not set it will be estimated (higher values result in higher specificity at the expense of found primers)"
+        )
         par.add_argument(
             "-ol",
             "--opt-length",
@@ -117,8 +122,8 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
         "-o",
         "--overlap",
         type=int,
-        metavar="100",
-        default=100,
+        metavar="25",
+        default=25,
         help="min overlap of the amplicon inserts"
     )
     SINGLE_parser.add_argument(
@@ -137,6 +142,13 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
         default=None,
         help="max number of ambiguous characters in a probe"
     )
+    QPCR_parser.add_argument(
+        "-t",
+        "--threshold",
+        required=True,
+        type=float,
+        help="consensus threshold (0-1) - higher values result in higher specificity at the expense of found primers"
+    )
     QPCR_parser.add_argument(
         "-n",
         "--test-n",
@@ -151,7 +163,7 @@ def get_args(sysargs):
         type=int,
         metavar="-3",
         default=-3,
-        help="minimum free energy (kcal/mol/K) cutoff at the lowest primer melting temp"
+        help="minimum free energy (kcal/mol/K) cutoff at the lowest primer melting temperature"
     )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--verbose",
@@ -178,19 +190,30 @@ def shared_workflow(args, log_file):
     """
     # start varvamp
     logging.varvamp_progress(log_file, mode=args.mode)
-
     # read in alignment and preprocess
     preprocessed_alignment = alignment.preprocess(args.input[0])
-    # check alignment length distribution
+    # read in external primer sequences with which new primers should not form dimers
+    if args.compatible_primers is not None:
+        compatible_primers = primers.parse_primer_fasta(args.compatible_primers)
+        if not compatible_primers:
+            logging.raise_error(
+                "no valid primers found in the provided primer file.\n",
+                log_file,
+            )
+    else:
+        compatible_primers = None
+    # check alignment length and number of gaps and report if its significantly more/less than expected
     logging.check_alignment_length(preprocessed_alignment, log_file)
+    logging.check_gaped_sequences(preprocessed_alignment, log_file)
 
     # estimate threshold or number of ambiguous bases if args were not supplied
-    if args.threshold is None or args.n_ambig is None:
-        args.threshold, args.n_ambig = param_estimation.get_parameters(preprocessed_alignment, args, log_file)
+    if args.threshold is None and not args.mode == 'qpcr':
+        args.threshold = param_estimation.get_parameters(preprocessed_alignment, args, log_file)
+    # set the number of ambiguous chars for qPCR probes to one less than for primers if not given
     if args.mode == "qpcr" and args.pn_ambig is None:
         if args.n_ambig == 0:
             args.pn_ambig = 0
-        if args.n_ambig > 0:
+        else:
             args.pn_ambig = args.n_ambig - 1
         with open(log_file, "a") as f:
             print(f"Automatic parameter selection set -pa {args.pn_ambig}.", file=f)
@@ -211,7 +234,6 @@ def shared_workflow(args, log_file):
     alignment_cleaned, gaps_to_mask = alignment.process_alignment(
         preprocessed_alignment,
         args.threshold,
-        args.threads
     )
     logging.varvamp_progress(
         log_file,
@@ -237,6 +259,9 @@ def shared_workflow(args, log_file):
         ambiguous_consensus,
         args.n_ambig
     )
+
+    potential_primer_regions = regions.mean(primer_regions, majority_consensus)
+
     if not primer_regions:
         logging.raise_error(
             "no primer regions found. Lower the threshold!",
@@ -247,7 +272,7 @@ def shared_workflow(args, log_file):
         log_file,
         progress=0.4,
         job="Finding primer regions.",
-        progress_text=f"{regions.mean(primer_regions, majority_consensus)} % of the consensus sequence will be evaluated for primers"
+        progress_text=f"{potential_primer_regions} % of the consensus sequence will be evaluated for primers"
     )
 
     # produce kmers for all primer regions
@@ -266,7 +291,8 @@ def shared_workflow(args, log_file):
     left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates = primers.find_primers(
         kmers,
         ambiguous_consensus,
-        alignment_cleaned
+        alignment_cleaned,
+        args.threads
     )
     for primer_type, primer_candidates in [("+", left_primer_candidates), ("-", right_primer_candidates)]:
         if not primer_candidates:
@@ -282,20 +308,41 @@ def shared_workflow(args, log_file):
         progress_text=f"{len(left_primer_candidates)} fw and {len(right_primer_candidates)} rv potential primers"
     )
 
-    return alignment_cleaned, majority_consensus, ambiguous_consensus, primer_regions, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates
+    # filter primers against user-provided list of compatible primers, can use multi-processing
+    if compatible_primers:
+        left_primer_candidates = primers.filter_non_dimer_candidates(
+            left_primer_candidates, compatible_primers, args.threads
+        )
+        right_primer_candidates = primers.filter_non_dimer_candidates(
+            right_primer_candidates, compatible_primers, args.threads
+        )
+        logging.varvamp_progress(
+            log_file,
+            progress=0.65,
+            job="Filtering primers against provided primers.",
+            progress_text=f"{len(left_primer_candidates)} fw and {len(right_primer_candidates)} rv primers after filtering"
+        )
+
+    return alignment_cleaned, majority_consensus, ambiguous_consensus, primer_regions, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, potential_primer_regions, compatible_primers
 
 
-def single_and_tiled_shared_workflow(args, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, data_dir, log_file):
+def single_and_tiled_shared_workflow(args, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, potential_primer_regions, data_dir, log_file):
     """
     part of the workflow shared by the single and tiled mode
     """
 
     # find best primers and create primer dict
-    all_primers = primers.find_best_primers(left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates)
+    # depending on the percentage of potential primer regions use high conservation mode
+    if potential_primer_regions >= 90:
+        all_primers = primers.find_best_primers(left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, high_conservation=True)
+        job_text = "Excluding overlapping primers (stringent)."
+    else:
+        all_primers = primers.find_best_primers(left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, high_conservation=False)
+        job_text = "Excluding overlapping primers."
     logging.varvamp_progress(
         log_file,
         progress=0.7,
-        job="Considering primers with low penalties.",
+        job=f"{job_text}",
         progress_text=f"{len(all_primers['+'])} fw and {len(all_primers['-'])} rv primers"
     )
 
@@ -307,8 +354,7 @@ def single_and_tiled_shared_workflow(args, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_
     )
     if not amplicons:
         logging.raise_error(
-            "no amplicons found. Increase the max amplicon length or \
-            number of ambiguous bases or lower threshold!\n",
+            "no amplicons found. Increase the max amplicon length or number of ambiguous bases or lower threshold!\n",
             log_file,
             exit=True
         )
@@ -353,7 +399,7 @@ def single_workflow(args, amplicons, log_file):
     return amplicon_scheme
 
 
-def tiled_workflow(args, amplicons, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, all_primers, ambiguous_consensus, log_file, results_dir):
+def tiled_workflow(args, amplicons, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, all_primers, ambiguous_consensus, log_file):
     """
     part of the workflow specific for the tiled mode
     """
@@ -367,21 +413,9 @@ def tiled_workflow(args, amplicons, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candida
         amplicon_graph
     )
 
-    # check for dimers
-    dimers_not_solved = scheme.check_and_solve_heterodimers(
-        amplicon_scheme,
-        left_primer_candidates,
-        right_primer_candidates,
-        all_primers)
-    if dimers_not_solved:
-        logging.raise_error(
-            f"varVAMP found {len(dimers_not_solved)} primer dimers without replacements. Check the dimer file and perform the PCR for incomaptible amplicons in a sperate reaction.",
-            log_file
-        )
-        reporting.write_dimers(results_dir, dimers_not_solved)
-
     # evaluate coverage
-    # ATTENTION: Genome coverage of the scheme might still change slightly through resolution of primer dimers, but this potential, minor inaccuracy is currently accepted.
+    # ATTENTION: Genome coverage of the scheme might still change slightly through resolution of primer dimers,
+    # but this potential, minor inaccuracy is currently accepted.
     percent_coverage = round(coverage/len(ambiguous_consensus)*100, 2)
     logging.varvamp_progress(
         log_file,
@@ -398,10 +432,36 @@ def tiled_workflow(args, amplicons, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candida
             "\t - relax primer settings (not recommended)\n",
             log_file
         )
-    return amplicon_scheme
 
+    # check for dimers
+    dimers_not_solved, n_initial_dimers = scheme.check_and_solve_heterodimers(
+        amplicon_scheme,
+        left_primer_candidates,
+        right_primer_candidates,
+        all_primers,
+        args.threads
+    )
+
+    # report dimers solve
+    if n_initial_dimers > 0 and not dimers_not_solved:
+        logging.varvamp_progress(
+            log_file,
+            progress=0.95,
+            job="Trying to solve primer dimers.",
+            progress_text=f"all dimers (n={n_initial_dimers}) could be resolved"
+        )
+    elif dimers_not_solved:
+        logging.varvamp_progress(
+            log_file,
+            progress=0.95,
+            job="Trying to solve primer dimers.",
+            progress_text=f"{len(dimers_not_solved)}/{n_initial_dimers} dimers could not be resolved"
+        )
+
+    return amplicon_scheme, dimers_not_solved
 
-def qpcr_workflow(args, data_dir, alignment_cleaned, ambiguous_consensus, majority_consensus, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, log_file):
+
+def qpcr_workflow(args, data_dir, alignment_cleaned, ambiguous_consensus, majority_consensus, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, compatible_primers, log_file):
     """
     part of the workflow specific for the tiled mode
     """
@@ -412,7 +472,7 @@ def qpcr_workflow(args, data_dir, alignment_cleaned, ambiguous_consensus, majori
     )
     if not probe_regions:
         logging.raise_error(
-            "no regions that fullfill probe criteria! lower threshold or increase number of ambiguous chars in probe\n",
+            "no regions that fulfill probe criteria! lower threshold or increase number of ambiguous chars in probe\n",
             log_file,
             exit=True
         )
@@ -424,7 +484,7 @@ def qpcr_workflow(args, data_dir, alignment_cleaned, ambiguous_consensus, majori
         config.QPROBE_SIZES
     )
     # find potential probes
-    qpcr_probes = qpcr.get_qpcr_probes(probe_kmers, ambiguous_consensus, alignment_cleaned)
+    qpcr_probes = qpcr.get_qpcr_probes(probe_kmers, ambiguous_consensus, alignment_cleaned, args.threads)
     if not qpcr_probes:
         logging.raise_error(
             "no qpcr probes found\n",
@@ -438,8 +498,21 @@ def qpcr_workflow(args, data_dir, alignment_cleaned, ambiguous_consensus, majori
         progress_text=f"{len(qpcr_probes)} potential qPCR probes"
     )
 
+    # filter primers against non-dimer sequences if provided
+    if compatible_primers:
+        qpcr_probes = primers.filter_non_dimer_candidates(
+            qpcr_probes, compatible_primers, args.threads)
+        logging.varvamp_progress(
+            log_file,
+            progress=0.75,
+            job="Filtering probes against provided primers.",
+            progress_text=f"{len(qpcr_probes)} potential qPCR probes after filtering"
+        )
+
     # find unique amplicons with a low penalty and an internal probe
-    qpcr_scheme_candidates = qpcr.find_qcr_schemes(qpcr_probes, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, majority_consensus, ambiguous_consensus)
+    qpcr_scheme_candidates = qpcr.find_qcr_schemes(
+        qpcr_probes, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, majority_consensus, ambiguous_consensus, args.threads
+    )
     if not qpcr_scheme_candidates:
         logging.raise_error(
             "no qPCR scheme candidates found. lower threshold or increase number of ambiguous chars in primer and/or probe\n",
@@ -500,7 +573,7 @@ def main():
         blast.check_BLAST_installation(log_file)
 
     # mode unspecific part of the workflow
-    alignment_cleaned, majority_consensus, ambiguous_consensus, primer_regions, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates = shared_workflow(args, log_file)
+    alignment_cleaned, majority_consensus, ambiguous_consensus, primer_regions, left_primer_candidates, right_primer_candidates, potential_primer_regions, compatible_primers = shared_workflow(args, log_file)
 
     # write files that are shared in all modes
     reporting.write_regions_to_bed(primer_regions, args.name, data_dir)
@@ -522,10 +595,12 @@ def main():
 
     # SINGLE/TILED mode
     if args.mode == "tiled" or args.mode == "single":
+        dimers_not_solved = None
         all_primers, amplicons = single_and_tiled_shared_workflow(
             args,
             left_primer_candidates,
             right_primer_candidates,
+            potential_primer_regions,
             data_dir,
             log_file
         )
@@ -536,7 +611,7 @@ def main():
                 log_file
             )
         elif args.mode == "tiled":
-            amplicon_scheme = tiled_workflow(
+            amplicon_scheme, dimers_not_solved = tiled_workflow(
                 args,
                 amplicons,
                 left_primer_candidates,
@@ -544,11 +619,9 @@ def main():
                 all_primers,
                 ambiguous_consensus,
                 log_file,
-                results_dir
             )
 
         # write files
-
         if args.mode == "tiled":
             # assign amplicon numbers from 5' to 3' along the genome
             amplicon_scheme.sort(key=lambda x: x["LEFT"][1])
@@ -562,7 +635,8 @@ def main():
             ambiguous_consensus,
             args.name,
             args.mode,
-            log_file
+            log_file,
+            dimers_not_solved
         )
         reporting.varvamp_plot(
             results_dir,
@@ -584,11 +658,11 @@ def main():
             majority_consensus,
             left_primer_candidates,
             right_primer_candidates,
+            compatible_primers,
             log_file
         )
 
         # write files
-
         # make sure amplicons with no off-target products and with low penalties get the lowest numbers
         final_schemes.sort(key=lambda x: (x.get("off_targets", False), x["penalty"]))
         reporting.write_regions_to_bed(probe_regions, args.name, data_dir, "probe")

varvamp/scripts/alignment.py

@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@
 alignment preprocessing
 """
 
-# BUILT-INS
-import re
-import multiprocessing
-
 # varVAMP
 from varvamp.scripts import config
 
 # LIBS
+import numpy as np
 from Bio import AlignIO
 from Bio.Seq import Seq
 
@@ -47,181 +44,74 @@ def preprocess(alignment_path):
     return preprocessed_alignment
 
 
-def find_internal_gaps(unique_gaps, gap):
-    """
-    find all unique gaps that
-    lie within the current gap
-    """
-    overlapping_gaps = []
-
-    if gap[1] - gap[0] == 0:
-        # if the gap length = 1 there are
-        # no overlapping gaps
-        overlapping_gaps = [gap]
-    else:
-        # for each unique gap check if the intersection with the
-        # gap is the same as the unique gap -> internal gap of
-        # the current gap
-        for unique_gap in unique_gaps:
-            unique_set = set(range(unique_gap[0], unique_gap[1]))
-            current_range = range(gap[0], gap[1])
-            intersection = unique_set.intersection(current_range)
-            if not intersection:
-                continue
-            if min(intersection) == unique_gap[0] and max(intersection) + 1 == unique_gap[1]:
-                overlapping_gaps.append(unique_gap)
-
-    return overlapping_gaps
-
-
-def find_overlapping_gaps_worker(gap_list, unique_gaps):
-    """
-    Worker function to find overlapping gaps and count their occurrences.
-    """
-    gap_dict_part = {}
-    for gap in gap_list:
-        overlapping_gaps = find_internal_gaps(unique_gaps, gap)
-        for overlapping_gap in overlapping_gaps:
-            if overlapping_gap in gap_dict_part:
-                gap_dict_part[overlapping_gap] += 1
-            else:
-                gap_dict_part[overlapping_gap] = 1
-    return gap_dict_part
-
-
-def create_gap_dictionary(unique_gaps, all_gaps, n_threads):
-    """
-    Creates a dictionary with all gap counts.
-    Counts also all overlapping gaps per gap.
-    Uses multiprocessing for parallelization.
-    """
-
-    with multiprocessing.Pool(processes=n_threads) as pool:
-        results = pool.starmap(find_overlapping_gaps_worker, [(gap_list, unique_gaps) for gap_list in all_gaps])
-
-    gap_dict = {}
-    for gap_dict_part in results:
-        for gap, count in gap_dict_part.items():
-            if gap in gap_dict:
-                gap_dict[gap] += count
-            else:
-                gap_dict[gap] = count
-
-    return gap_dict
-
-
-def find_gaps_to_mask(gap_dict, cutoff):
-    """
-    filters gaps for their freq cutoff.
-    condenses final gaps if there is
-    an overlap.
-    """
-    gaps_to_mask = []
-    potential_gaps = []
-    opened_region = []
-
-    # check for each region if it is covered
-    # by enough sequences
-    for gap in gap_dict:
-        if gap_dict[gap] > cutoff:
-            potential_gaps.append(gap)
-
-    # sort by start and stop
-    potential_gaps = sorted(potential_gaps)
-
-    # get the min and max of overlapping gaps
-    for i, region in enumerate(potential_gaps):
-        region = list(region)
-        if opened_region:
-            # write the opened region if the start of the current region
-            # > opened_region[stop] and the last still opened region
-            if region[0] > opened_region[1] or i == len(potential_gaps) - 1:
-                gaps_to_mask.append(opened_region)
-                opened_region = region
-            else:
-                # 1 case: same start and further stop -> new stop
-                if region[0] == opened_region[0]:
-                    opened_region[1] = region[1]
-                # 2 case: further start and further stop -> new stop
-                if region[0] > opened_region[0] and region[1] > opened_region[1]:
-                    opened_region[1] = region[1]
-        else:
-            opened_region = region
-
-    return gaps_to_mask
-
-
 def clean_gaps(alignment, gaps_to_mask):
     """
-    clean an alignment of large common deletions.
+    Clean an alignment of large common deletions based on gaps_to_mask.
+    gaps_to_mask: list of [start, end] (inclusive), sorted by start.
     """
     cleaned_alignment = []
+    gaps_to_mask = sorted(gaps_to_mask, key=lambda x: x[0])
 
-    for sequence in alignment:
+    for seq_id, seq in alignment:
         start = 0
-        masked_seq = str()
-        for region in gaps_to_mask:
-            # check if it is three bases or more and mask with 2 Ns
-            if region[1] - region[0] >= config.QAMPLICON_DEL_CUTOFF:
+        pieces = []
+        # for each seq in the alignment, mask the regions
+        for region_start, region_end in gaps_to_mask:
+            # mask length for this region
+            if (region_end - region_start + 1) >= config.QAMPLICON_DEL_CUTOFF:
                 mask = "NN"
-            # or mask with one N (small deletion)
             else:
                 mask = "N"
-            stop = region[0]
-            masked_seq_temp = sequence[1][start:stop]
-            # check if the deletion is at the start
-            if start == 0 and len(masked_seq_temp) == 0:
-                masked_seq = mask
-            # check if deletion is not at start
-            elif start == 0 and len(masked_seq_temp) != 0:
-                masked_seq = masked_seq_temp
-            # else we are in the middle of the alignment
-            else:
-                masked_seq = masked_seq + mask + masked_seq_temp
-            start = region[1] + 1
-        if max(gaps_to_mask)[1] < len(sequence[1]) - 1:
-            # append the last seq if no gap is at
-            # the end of the sequence
-            start = max(gaps_to_mask)[1]
-            stop = len(sequence[1]) - 1
-            masked_seq_temp = sequence[1][start:stop]
-            masked_seq = masked_seq + mask + masked_seq_temp
-        else:
-            # append the mask to the end of the seq
-            masked_seq = masked_seq + mask
-
-        cleaned_alignment.append([sequence[0], masked_seq])
+            # part before region
+            pieces.append(seq[start:region_start])
+            # mask for region
+            pieces.append(mask)
+            # next start is after region
+            start = region_end + 1
+
+        # tail after last masked region
+        if start < len(seq):
+            pieces.append(seq[start:])
+
+        cleaned_alignment.append([seq_id, "".join(pieces)])
 
     return cleaned_alignment
 
 
-def process_alignment(preprocessed_alignment, threshold, n_threads):
+def process_alignment(preprocessed_alignment, threshold):
     """
-    proprocesses alignment and cleans gaps
+    - build an array of shape (n_seq, seq_len)
+    - for each column, count how many sequences are '-'
+    - mark columns to mask if count > cutoff
+    - turn those columns into contiguous regions
     """
-    all_gaps = []
-
-    gap_cutoff = len(preprocessed_alignment) * (1 - threshold)
-    for seq in preprocessed_alignment:
-        # find all gaps for all sequences with regular expression -{min}
-        all_gaps.append(
-            [(gap.start(0), gap.end(0) - 1) for gap in re.finditer(
-                "-{1,}", seq[1])]
-        )
-    unique_gaps = list(set(gaps for gap_list in all_gaps for gaps in gap_list))
-
-    if unique_gaps:
-        gap_dic = create_gap_dictionary(unique_gaps, all_gaps, n_threads)
-        gaps_to_mask = find_gaps_to_mask(gap_dic, gap_cutoff)
-        if gaps_to_mask:
-            alignment_cleaned = clean_gaps(
-                preprocessed_alignment, gaps_to_mask
-            )
-        else:
-            alignment_cleaned = preprocessed_alignment
-    else:
-        gaps_to_mask = []
-        alignment_cleaned = preprocessed_alignment
+
+    # build char array
+    seqs = [seq for seq_id, seq in preprocessed_alignment]
+    arr = np.array([list(s) for s in seqs], dtype="U1")
+    n_seq, len_seq = arr.shape
+
+    # per-column gap counts
+    cols_to_mask = (arr == "-").sum(axis=0) > n_seq * (1 - threshold)
+
+    # convert bool mask into list of (start, end) regions (end inclusive)
+    gaps_to_mask = []
+    in_gap = False
+    start = None
+    for i, is_gap in enumerate(cols_to_mask):
+        if is_gap and not in_gap:
+            in_gap = True
+            start = i
+        elif not is_gap and in_gap:
+            in_gap = False
+            gaps_to_mask.append([start, i - 1])
+    if in_gap:
+        gaps_to_mask.append([start, len_seq - 1])
+
+    if not gaps_to_mask:
+        return preprocessed_alignment, []
+
+    alignment_cleaned = clean_gaps(preprocessed_alignment, gaps_to_mask)
 
     return alignment_cleaned, gaps_to_mask