Release

Information Document Version Number MutationSurveyor-5.0-UG001

Software Version 5.2
Document Status Final
Document Release Date November, 2021

Copyright  2021. SoftGenetics, LLC, All rights reserved.

The information contained herein is proprietary and confidential and is the
exclusive property of SoftGenetics, LLC. It may not be copied, disclosed,
used, distributed, modified, or reproduced, in whole or in part, without the
express written permission of SoftGenetics, LLC.

Limit of Liability SoftGenetics, LLC has used their best effort in preparing this guide.
SoftGenetics, LLC makes no representations or warranties with respect to the
accuracy or completeness of the contents of this guide and specifically
disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular
purpose. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and
does not represent a commitment on the part of SoftGenetics, LLC or any of
its affiliates.The accuracy and completeness of the information contained
herein and the opinions stated herein are not guaranteed or warranted to
produce any particular results, and the advice and strategies contained herein
may not be suitable for every user.
The software described herein is furnished under a license agreement or a
non-disclosure agreement. The software may be copied or used only in
accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the
software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license or the
non-disclosure agreement.

Trademarks The name “SoftGenetics,” the SoftGenetics logo, and Mutation Surveyor are
trademarks or registered trademarks of SoftGenetics, LLC. All other products
and company names mentioned herein might be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.

Customer Customer support is available to organizations that purchase Mutation

Support Surveyor and that have an annual support agreement. Contact SoftGenetics,
LLC at:

SoftGenetics, LLC
100 Oakwood Ave, Suite 350
State College, PA 16803
(814) 237-9340
(888) 791-1270 (US Only)
[email protected]
www.softgenetics.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor ............................. 19
Mutation Surveyor System Requirements ..................................................................... 21
Installing Mutation Surveyor........................................................................................... 22
To install Mutation Surveyor ........................................................................................ 22
Starting Mutation Surveyor ............................................................................................ 23
Mutation Surveyor Conventions..................................................................................... 24
Genomic terms ............................................................................................................ 24
Mutation terms ............................................................................................................. 24
Reports and graphical output....................................................................................... 25
The Mutation Surveyor Main Window ............................................................................ 26
Title bar........................................................................................................................ 26
Main menu ................................................................................................................... 26
Main window toolbar .................................................................................................... 27
Browser pane............................................................................................................... 27
To navigate the Browser pane................................................................................... 28
Viewing and Reporting pane........................................................................................ 30
Configuring User Management ...................................................................................... 31
To configure user management................................................................................... 31
To turn on user management .................................................................................... 34
To turn off user management ...................................................................................... 36
Managing Groups in Mutation Surveyor ........................................................................ 38
To manage groups in Mutation Surveyor..................................................................... 38
To add a new group................................................................................................... 40
To edit a group .......................................................................................................... 40
To delete a group ...................................................................................................... 41
Managing Users in Mutation Surveyor........................................................................... 43
To manage users in Mutation Surveyor....................................................................... 43

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 5

 To add a user............................................................................................................. 45
To edit a user ............................................................................................................. 46
To delete a user ......................................................................................................... 47

Chapter 2: Project Setup..........................................................................49

Project File Types........................................................................................................... 50
Sample file ................................................................................................................... 50
Reference file ............................................................................................................... 50
GenBank file................................................................................................................. 50
Automatic GenBank download................................................................................... 51
Modifying the Default Mutation Surveyor Project Settings ............................................. 52
To modify the default Mutation Surveyor project settings ............................................ 53
Input tab ..................................................................................................................... 54
Contig tab................................................................................................................... 55
Mutation tab ............................................................................................................... 59
Output tab .................................................................................................................. 62
Display tab ................................................................................................................. 64
2 Directions tab .......................................................................................................... 65
Others tab .................................................................................................................. 67
Database tab.............................................................................................................. 69
Setting up a Single Mutation Surveyor Project............................................................... 70
To set up a Mutation Surveyor project ......................................................................... 70
Contig directory for a Mutation Surveyor project........................................................ 72

Chapter 3: Graphical Analysis Display...................................................75

Graphical Analysis Display Layout ................................................................................. 77
Nucleotide Sequence frame......................................................................................... 78
Amino Acid frame......................................................................................................... 79
Tracks frame ................................................................................................................ 79

6 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Sample Traces frame .................................................................................................. 79
Mutation trace legend ................................................................................................ 80
Mutation trace peak identification .............................................................................. 82
Mutation table .............................................................................................................. 83
GAD Toolbar................................................................................................................ 84
Search GenBank sequence....................................................................................... 86
Variation Tracks Settings dialog box ......................................................................... 87
Graphical Analysis Display Navigation and Analysis Options........................................ 90
GAD viewing and navigation options ........................................................................... 90
GAD analysis options .................................................................................................. 91
Miscellaneous GAD options......................................................................................... 93
Exporting the GAD ......................................................................................................... 94

Chapter 4: Mutation Surveyor Graphical Reports ................................ 97

Project Reviewer Report ................................................................................................ 99
Project Reviewer report layout..................................................................................... 99
Project Reviewer report toolbar ................................................................................. 102
Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box .......................................................... 104
Mutation tab ........................................................................................................ 104
Color tab.............................................................................................................. 105
Nomenclature tab ................................................................................................ 106
Display tab .......................................................................................................... 107
Graphic Display Report................................................................................................ 108
Graphic Display report layout .................................................................................... 109
Graphic Display report toolbar ................................................................................... 110
Project Display subreport ........................................................................................ 111
Project Display subreport toolbar ........................................................................ 113
GAD Report ................................................................................................................. 114
GAD Report toolbar ................................................................................................... 115

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 7

Clinical Report .............................................................................................................. 116
Nucleotide Text Display Report.................................................................................... 120
Nucleotide Text Display report layout ........................................................................ 121
Nucleotide Text Display report toolbar ....................................................................... 122

Chapter 5: Mutation Surveyor Standard Reports ................................125

Mutation Report............................................................................................................ 127
Mutation Surveyor toolbar .......................................................................................... 127
Mutation report fields.................................................................................................. 128
Mutation report codes ................................................................................................ 129
Substitution mutation code....................................................................................... 129
Color codes ......................................................................................................... 130
Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation codes ................................................. 131
Mutation report viewing and analysis options ............................................................ 132
Two Direction Report.................................................................................................... 134
Two Direction report layout ........................................................................................ 134
Two Direction report toolbar....................................................................................... 135
Two Direction report mutation codes ......................................................................... 136
Two Direction report viewing and analysis options .................................................... 136
Two Direction report settings ................................................................................... 136
Two Direction report context menu .......................................................................... 137
Advanced Two Direction Report................................................................................... 140
Advanced Two Direction report toolbar...................................................................... 142
Advanced Two Direction report viewing and analysis options ................................... 144
Project Report .............................................................................................................. 146
Project report toolbar.................................................................................................. 148
Project Sample Assembly subreport........................................................................ 150
Consensus Sequence Text function ........................................................................ 151
Consensus Sequence Text window toolbar ........................................................ 151

8 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Sequence Text Comparison function ...................................................................... 152
Sequence Text Comparison window toolbar....................................................... 153
Amino Acid Text Comparison function .................................................................... 154
Amino Acid Text Comparison window toolbar..................................................... 155
Project report viewing and analysis options............................................................... 155
HGVS Report ............................................................................................................... 157
HGVS report toolbar .................................................................................................. 160
HGVS report viewing and analysis options................................................................ 161

Chapter 6: Mutation Surveyor Custom Report.................................... 163

Custom Report............................................................................................................. 164
To create a Custom Report template......................................................................... 164
Format tab ............................................................................................................... 166
Filters tab................................................................................................................. 170
Display tab............................................................................................................... 172
Mutation tab............................................................................................................. 173
Color tab .................................................................................................................. 176
Nomenclature tab .................................................................................................... 177
Other tab.................................................................................................................. 179
Custom Report toolbar............................................................................................... 180
Custom Report viewing and analysis options ............................................................ 181

Chapter 7: Mutation Surveyor Customer Reports .............................. 183

JHU report.................................................................................................................... 185
JHU Report toolbar .................................................................................................... 186
JHU report viewing and analysis options................................................................... 187
JHU report settings.................................................................................................. 187
JHU report context menu......................................................................................... 188
Tassel report ................................................................................................................ 190

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 9

 Tassel report toolbar .................................................................................................. 191
Tassel report viewing and analysis options................................................................ 192
Emory report................................................................................................................. 193
Emory report toolbar .................................................................................................. 193
Emory report viewing and analysis options................................................................ 194
Bentley report and MSM_Song report.......................................................................... 196
Bentley/MSM_Song report toolbar ............................................................................. 197
Bentley/MSM_Song reports viewing and analysis options......................................... 197
Bentley/MSM_Song report settings ......................................................................... 198
Bentley/MSM_Song reports context menu .............................................................. 198
PrettyBase report ......................................................................................................... 200
PrettyBase report toolbar ........................................................................................... 200
PrettyBase report viewing and analysis options......................................................... 201
PrettyBase report settings........................................................................................ 201
PrettyBase report context menu .............................................................................. 202
Methylation report......................................................................................................... 203
Methylation report toolbar .......................................................................................... 204
Graphic Display of Methylation report...................................................................... 205
Methylation report context menu................................................................................ 206
Vertex report................................................................................................................. 207
Vertex2 report............................................................................................................... 209
Vertex2 report toolbar ................................................................................................ 211
Vertex2 report viewing and analysis options.............................................................. 211
Vertex3 report............................................................................................................... 212
Vertex3 report layout.................................................................................................. 213
Vertex3 report toolbar ................................................................................................ 214
Vertex3 report viewing and analysis options.............................................................. 214
Full Gene report ........................................................................................................... 215

10 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Full Gene Report Settings dialog box, Format tab..................................................... 216
Full Gene Report Settings, Header tab...................................................................... 217
Full Gene Report Settings, Output tab....................................................................... 217
Full Gene report toolbar............................................................................................. 219
Full Gene viewing and analysis options..................................................................... 220
FullBase report............................................................................................................. 222
FullBase report layout................................................................................................ 223
FullBase report toolbar .............................................................................................. 223
FullBase viewing and analysis options ...................................................................... 224

Chapter 8: GenBank File Editors.......................................................... 225

Overview of GenBank Files ......................................................................................... 227
To download a GenBank file...................................................................................... 227
Advanced GBK File Editor Tool ................................................................................... 231
To load a GenBank file into the Advanced GBK File Editor tool................................ 231
Advanced GBK File Editor tool toolbar ...................................................................... 232
Advanced GBK File Editor tool GenBank Tree File pane .......................................... 233
Advanced GBK File Editor tool Tabs pane ................................................................ 235
Sequence tab .......................................................................................................... 235
Basic Information tab............................................................................................... 237
Allele Frequency tab................................................................................................ 240
Modifying and adding variations.......................................................................... 241
Advanced GBK File Editor tool functions................................................................... 243
To search the loaded GenBank file for a specific sequence ................................... 243
To download a GenBank file with the same sequence............................................ 244
To adjust the number of the first coding base or the sequence start....................... 244
To add ROIs that are based on CDSs..................................................................... 245
To reverse complement the currently loaded GenBank file..................................... 245
SEQ File Editor Tool .................................................................................................... 246

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 11

 To load a SEQ file into the SEQ File Editor tool......................................................... 246
SEQ File Editor tool layout ......................................................................................... 247
SEQ File Editor tool functions .................................................................................... 250
To search the loaded SEQ file for a specific sequence ........................................... 250
To adjust the number of the first coding base or the sequence start ....................... 251

Chapter 9: Mutation Surveyor Tools.....................................................253

Filename Editor Tool .................................................................................................... 257
To programmatically change filenames ..................................................................... 257
To manually change filenames .................................................................................. 259
2D Filename Match Editor tool ..................................................................................... 261
To use the 2D Filename Match Editor tool................................................................. 261
ND Filename Match Editor Tool ................................................................................... 264
To use the ND Filename Match Editor ....................................................................... 264
Print Header Editor Tool............................................................................................... 267
To use the Print Header Editor tool............................................................................ 267
Create SCF Tool .......................................................................................................... 271
Synthetic traces versus pseudo traces ...................................................................... 271
To use the Create SCF tool ....................................................................................... 272
Convert to SCF tool...................................................................................................... 274
To use the Convert to SCF tool.................................................................................. 274
Extract SGP Tool.......................................................................................................... 275
To use the Extract SGP tool....................................................................................... 275
SGP Comparison Tool ................................................................................................. 279
To use the SGP Comparison tool .............................................................................. 279
Mutation Assembly Tool ............................................................................................... 284
To use the Mutation Assembly tool ............................................................................ 284
Sequence Assembly Tool............................................................................................. 287

12 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 To use the Sequence Assembly tool ......................................................................... 287
Mask Vector Sequence Tool........................................................................................ 291
To use the Mask Vector Sequence tool..................................................................... 291
Output Trace Data Tool ............................................................................................... 293
To use the Output Trace Data tool ............................................................................ 293
Signal Factor Intensity and Signal Factor Dev ........................................................ 294
BasePatch Tool............................................................................................................ 295
To use the BatchPatch tool........................................................................................ 295
The HLA Tool............................................................................................................... 297
To use the HLA tool ................................................................................................... 297

Chapter 10: Mutation Surveyor Specialized Applications ................. 299

Methylation Detection .................................................................................................. 301
Mutation Quantifier Function........................................................................................ 303
To run the Mutation Quantifier function ..................................................................... 303
Mutation Quantifier report, Standardized Allele Ratio selected ............................... 305
Mutation Quantifier report, Simplified Allele Ratio selected..................................... 307
Mutation Quantifier toolbar ...................................................................................... 308
Quantification Group Editor dialog box ............................................................... 309
Mutation Quantifier report settings dialog box..................................................... 310

Chapter 11: Multiple Projects ............................................................... 313

Modifying Mutation Surveyor Projects ......................................................................... 315
The Log File Wizard in the Mutation AutoRun Tool ..................................................... 317
To open the Log File Wizard...................................................................................... 317
To set up a new log file.............................................................................................. 318
To modify a log file..................................................................................................... 322
To modify an existing job in the log file.................................................................... 322
To add a new job to a log file................................................................................... 323

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 13

 To remove a job from a log file ................................................................................ 323
The Mutation AutoRun Tool ......................................................................................... 324
To use the Mutation AutoRun tool.............................................................................. 324

Chapter 12: Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects .......................327

Adding Mutation Calls .................................................................................................. 329
To add a substitution.................................................................................................. 329
To add a homozygous indel call................................................................................. 330
To add or edit a heterozygous indel (The Het-Indel tool)........................................... 331
Heterozygous Indel Detection window toolbar......................................................... 334
Editing Mutation Calls................................................................................................... 335
To edit substitutions ................................................................................................... 335
To edit homozygous indels ........................................................................................ 336
To edit heterozygous indels ....................................................................................... 337
To edit Del/Ins ............................................................................................................ 339
To edit a homozygous Del/Ins ................................................................................. 339
To edit a heterozygous Del/Ins ................................................................................ 339
Annotating Reported Variations ................................................................................... 341
To annotate a variation .............................................................................................. 341
Creating a User Knowledge Database for Known Deletions........................................ 342
To create a custom variant database for known deletions......................................... 342
Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation..................................................... 344

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

14 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

Preface
Welcome to the Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual. The purpose of the Mutation Surveyor
User’s Manual is to answer your questions and guide you through the procedures necessary
to use the Mutation Surveyor application efficiently and effectively.

Using the manual

You will find the Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual easy to use. You can simply look up the
topic that you need in the table of contents or the index. Later, in this Preface, you will find a
brief discussion of each chapter to further assist you in locating the information that you
need.

Special information about the manual

The Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual has a dual purpose design. It can be distributed
electronically and then printed on an as-needed basis, or it can be viewed online in its fully
interactive capacity. If you print the document, for best results, it is recommended that you
print it on a duplex printer; however, single-sided printing will also work. If you view the
document online, a standard set of bookmarks appears in a frame on the left side of the
document window for navigation through the document. For better viewing, decrease the
size of the bookmark frame and use the magnification box to increase the magnification of
the document to your viewing preference.

If you do print the document using a single-sided printer, you might see a single
blank page at the end of some chapters. This blank page has been added solely to
ensure that the next chapter begins on an odd-numbered page. This blank page in
no way indicates that your book is missing information.

Conventions used in the manual

The Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual uses the following conventions:
• Information that can vary in a command—variable information—is indicated by
alphanumeric characters enclosed in angle brackets; for example, <Mutation ID>. Do not
type the angle brackets when you specify the variable information.
• A new term, or term that must be emphasized for clarity of procedures, is italicized.
• Mutation Surveyor provides multiple ways of accessing the same Mutation Surveyor
functions (for example, a main menu option and a toolbar button). For brevity and ease of

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 15

Preface

use, this manual references only one method—the main menu—for accessing functions;
however, you can use whatever method best suits your working needs.
• Page numbering is “online friendly.” Pages are numbered from 1 to x, starting with the
cover and ending on the last page of the index.

Although numbering begins on the cover page, this number is not visible on the
cover page or front matter pages. Page numbers are visible starting with the first
page of the table of contents.

• This manual is intended for both print and online viewing.

• If information appears in blue, it is a hyperlink. Table of Contents and Index entries
are also hyperlinks. Click the hyperlink to advance to the referenced information.

Assumptions for the manual

The Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual assumes that:
• You are familiar with windows-based applications and basic Windows functions,
navigational elements, and icons such as the Printer Setup icon on a Print Preview page.
• References to any third party standards or third party software functions were current
during the development and release of this version of Mutation Surveyor.

Organization of the manual

In addition to this Preface, the Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual contains the following
chapters and appendices:
• Chapter 1, “Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor,” on page 19 details the Mutation
Surveyor installation requirements, and the procedures for installing and upgrading the
application. It also describes how to launch Mutation Surveyor and it provides an
overview of the major navigational elements in the application.
• Chapter 2, “Project Setup,” on page 49 guides you through the necessary steps for setting
up a project in Mutation Surveyor.
• Chapter 3, “Graphical Analysis Display,” on page 75 details the layout and functions of
the Graphical Analysis Display, which visually presents mutation project data.
• Chapter 4, “Mutation Surveyor Graphical Reports,” on page 97 details the variety of
graphic-based standard reports that are available in Mutation Surveyor for providing
detailed information about a mutation project. The chapter contains a summary of
descriptions, report field labels, report functions, and report caveats for all the various
standard mutation reports.

16 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Preface

• Chapter 5, “Mutation Surveyor Standard Reports,” on page 125 details the variety of text-
based standard reports that are available in Mutation Surveyor for providing detailed
information about a mutation project. The chapter contains a summary of descriptions,
report field labels, report functions, and report caveats for all the various standard
mutation reports.
• Chapter 6, “Mutation Surveyor Custom Report,” on page 163 details the Custom report,
which contain options for building a tailored report that provides detailed information
about your mutation projects in a format that best suits your specific working needs.
• Chapter 7, “Mutation Surveyor Customer Reports,” on page 183 details the various
customer report templates in Mutation Surveyor. Each report was initially developed as a
template to provide custom content that met a specific customer’s needs. All these report
templates are now available from the Reports > Customer Reports option on the Mutation
Surveyor main menu.
• Chapter 8, “GenBank File Editors,” on page 225 details the tools that are specifically
designed for editing GenBank files and Sequence files.
• Chapter 9, “Mutation Surveyor Tools,” on page 253 details the variety of tools that are
available in Mutation Surveyor for optimizing input data and analyzing results.
• Chapter 10, “Mutation Surveyor Specialized Applications,” on page 299 details the use
of Mutation Surveyor for some specialized applications.
• Chapter 11, “Multiple Projects,” on page 313 details Mutation Surveyor’s capabilities for
modifying existing projects and for working with multiple projects.
• Chapter 12, “Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects,” on page 327 details the functions
and the tools that are available in Mutation Surveyor for adding and editing mutation calls
in a project.

Related document
In addition to this manual, you may find the following document helpful
• Mutation Surveyor Reference and Track Manager Tool User’s Manual

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 17

Preface

18 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation
Surveyor
The Mutation Surveyor software application uses patented anti-correlation technology to
provide highly accurate discovery of DNA variants from Sanger sequencing traces. This
software is ideal for the analysis of data from Applied Biosystems, Beckman-Coulter and
MegaBACE systems. This chapter details the installation requirements, and the procedures
for installing and upgrading the application. It also describes how to launch Mutation
Surveyor and it provides an overview of the major navigational elements in the application.
It also details how to configure user management for your Mutation Surveyor instance.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Mutation Surveyor System Requirements” on page 21.
• “Installing Mutation Surveyor” on page 22.
• “Starting Mutation Surveyor” on page 23.
• “Mutation Surveyor Conventions” on page 24.
• “The Mutation Surveyor Main Window” on page 26.
• “Configuring User Management” on page 31.
• “Managing Groups in Mutation Surveyor” on page 38.
• “Managing Users in Mutation Surveyor” on page 43.

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 19

Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

20 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

Mutation Surveyor System Requirements

Mutation Surveyor is supported only on Windows and Intel-powered Macintosh operating
systems. It is not supported on Linux or UNIX-based operating systems. Mutation Surveyor
recognizes only PC file formats.

System Requirements
Windows PC • Operating System—Mutation Surveyor can function on Windows 32-
or 64-bit operating systems that are within Microsoft Extended
Support.
• Processor—Dual core with 1.8 GHz
• RAM: 2 GB
• Available hard drive space: 60 GB
Note: Some optional features require a 64-bit operating system along
with additional RAM and hard drive space.
Intel Powered • Operating System—Parallels desktop for Mac (Mac OS/virtual
MacIntosh machine dependent) or Apple, Boot Camp or VMware Fusion (Mac
OS/virtual machine dependent)
• RAM: 2 GB
• Available hard drive space: 60 GB

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 21

Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

Installing Mutation Surveyor

Mutation Surveyor is licensed in three different ways, each of which follow slightly different
installation procedures—Validation, Local, and Network:
You must have Local Administrator rights for the computer on which you are
installing Mutation Surveyor.

• Validation license—The Validation license is a trial license that provides all the
functionality of a purchased license. You can load data, create and save new files, analyze
and visualize data, and so on. The Validation license does not require a registered license
and you can install this version on an unlimited number of computers. The Validation
license expires 35 calendar days from installation.
You must contact SoftGenetics to receive a disc that contains a fully functional, 35
day trial of the software.

• Local license—The Local license is for installation on a a single computer.

• Network license—The Network license is for installation on multiple client computers
that are connected to a license server computer.

To install Mutation Surveyor

The Mutation Surveyor Installation wizard guides you through the steps that are necessary to
install a Mutation Surveyor license. The default installation location is
C:\Program Files (x86)\SoftGenetics\Mutation Surveyor
but you can always select a different installation directory.
When you are installing Mutation Surveyor, keep in mind the following:

Version Comments
Validation Accept the default Program Manager Group to ensure that program
operability is not negatively affected.
Local • A dongle may be supplied with a Local license. Make sure that you
follow the specific installation instructions that are included with the
key.
• Accept the default Program Manager Group to ensure that program
operability is not negatively affected.
• At the prompts to enter your registration information, enter the
information exactly as SoftGenetics supplied it to you.
Network • At the prompts to enter your registration information on the server
computer, enter the information exactly as SoftGenetics supplied it to
you.

22 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

Starting Mutation Surveyor

After Mutation Surveyor has been installed on your computer, a shortcut icon for the
application is placed on your desktop. An option for the application is also available from
your Start menu. You can double-click the desktop icon to open Mutation Surveyor, or you
can select the option from your Start menu.

If your Mutation Surveyor administrator has configured User Management for

your Mutation Surveyor instance, then you are prompted to enter a user name and
password before Mutation Surveyor opens. Contact your administrator if you need
assistance.

Figure 1-1: Mutation Surveyor desktop icon

Figure 1-2: Mutation Surveyor main window

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Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

Mutation Surveyor Conventions

Mutation Surveyor uses conventions in both its terminology (genomic terms and mutation
terms) and its output to ensure consistency and accuracy when you are manipulating and
analyzing mutation project data.

Genomic terms
In genomics, the same term or definition can have multiple meanings or interpretations. As a
result, you must know how specific genomic terms are defined for use in Mutation Surveyor.
Figure 1-3 shows a sequence region which contains a gene model. Mutation Surveyor uses
the following terms to define the different areas of a gene:
• (A)—The sequence, which is the complete order of nucleotides in a gene.
• (B)—mRNA, which is a region in a gene that contains part of the reading frame that codes
for a specific portion of the complete protein. mRNA regions can include sequences that
code for amino acids (red fill in Figure 1-3) and untranslated sequences (no fill in Figure
1-3).
• (C)—CDS, or the coding sequence, which is a DNA region in a gene that is translated into
protein.
• (D)—Intron, which are the regions of the precursor mRNA that are spliced out to make
the mature mRNA. These introns might be within the untranslated region of the mRNA
or they might be between CDS regions of mRNA.
Figure 1-3: Mutation Surveyor genomic terms

Mutation terms
The following list details how specific types of mutations are defined in Mutation Surveyor:
• Silent—Coding and non-coding mutations that do not affect the amino acid sequence.
• Synonymous—Mutations found only in the coding region that do not affect the amino
acid sequence.

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 Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

• Non-synonymous—Mutations found only in the coding region that affect the amino
acid sequence.
• Nonsense—A non-synonymous mutation that results in a stop codon.
• Mosaic—Might be used in place of somatic mutations (2D small peak) or
heteroplasmy.

Reports and graphical output

• When analyzing samples from a polyploid organism, Mutation Surveyor displays the
results for only the two dominant alleles (the alleles with the two highest frequencies) in
any report or graphical display.
• Mutation Surveyor supports both standard and non-standard genetic codes as defined in
Version 4.4 of the NCBI Genetic Code table (see ftp://ftp.ncbi.nih.gov/entrez/misc/data/
gc.prt). To analyze samples that require translation using a non-standard genetic code, the
GenBank file must contain the correct Translation table number. If the GenBank file does
not contain this information, Mutation Surveyor defaults to using standard genetic code.

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 25

Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

The Mutation Surveyor Main Window

The Mutation Surveyor main window is your starting point for the Mutation Surveyor
application. The window provides quick access to all the Mutation Surveyor functions and
system tools. The Mutation Surveyor main window has five major components—the title
bar, the main menu, the toolbar, the Browser pane, and the Viewing and Reporting pane.
Figure 1-4: Mutation Surveyor main window

Title bar
The name “Mutation Surveyor” appears in the title bar at the top of the Mutation Surveyor
main window. When a saved project is opened, the title bar also shows the version number in
which the project was saved.
Figure 1-5: Title bar

Main menu
The main menu is set up in a standard Windows menu format with menu commands grouped
into menus (File, Process, Display, Reports, Tools, and Help) across the menu bar. Some of
these menu commands are available in other areas of the application.
Figure 1-6: Main menu

26 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Chapter 1
Getting Started with Mutation Surveyor

Main window toolbar

The toolbar provides quick access to all the Mutation Surveyor functions. Figure 1-7 below
shows the Mutation Surveyor toolbar after the application first opens. The Mutation
Surveyor toolbar is updated dynamically with other toolbar buttons based on the files that
you load and/or the post-processing steps that you select. Place your mouse pointer over a
toolbar button to open tooltip text for the button.
Figure 1-7: Mutation Surveyor Toolbar

Button Description
Open Files—Opens the Open Files dialog box which you use to load GenBank files,
references files, and sample files for a project.

Save Project—Saves all the project files to a single file mutation project file with an .sgp
extension. You can open an entire project in a single step by opening this .sgp file.

Raw Data to Processed Data—Enabled when AB1/ABI files without base call
information are uploaded and Load Raw Data is selected for the Mutation Project
settings. Converts the raw files so that base call information is displayed.
Run—Runs the currently loaded project in Mutation Surveyor.

Restart—Opens the Options dialog box which you use to modify the current project
settings. You can then run the project again using these new settings.

Show/Hide Browser—Shows/hides the Browser pane in the Mutation Surveyor main

window.

Browser pane
The Browser (left) pane is arranged in a classic Windows Explorer-style folder structure. The
top-level folders are the File folder and the Contig folder. The File folder contains up to three
sub-level folders—GenBank File, Reference File, and Sample File—which contain the
GenBank files, the reference files, and the sample files, respectively. The Contig folder
contains subfolders for each of the contigs that were created from the analysis. After you run
a project for the first time, an entry also exists for the Mutation Report. (See Figure 1-8 on
page 28.)

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Figure 1-8: Browser pane

For a detailed discussion about contigs and the Browser pane, see “Contig
directory for a Mutation Surveyor project” on page 72.

To navigate the Browser pane

• To open a folder, click the Expand icon next to the folder, or double-click the folder.
To close a folder, click the Collapse icon next to the folder.
• To view the raw trace for a file, double-click anywhere on the file entry. (The icon for the
selected file turns green .) The trace opens in the Viewing and Reporting (right) pane.
To clear the trace for a file, double-click anywhere on the file entry again.

To view corresponding traces at the same time, double-click individual samples.

Figure 1-9: Viewing a trace for a single file

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Figure 1-10: Viewing traces for multiple files

• To view the Mutation report, double-click the Mutation Report entry. The Mutation report
opens in the Viewing and Reporting pane. (See “Mutation Report” on page 127.)
Figure 1-11: Mutation Report in the Viewing and Reporting pane

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Viewing and Reporting pane

The Viewing and Reporting (right) pane displays graphics, reports, and other information
depending on the post-processing options that you have selected.
Figure 1-12: Viewing a trace in the Viewing and Reporting pane

Reports and views are discussed in the appropriate chapters in this manual.

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Configuring User Management

After Mutation Surveyor is installed, user management can be configured for it. User
management requires that a user be authenticated before logging in and using the
applications. You can configure user management independently for each computer
(localhost) on which Mutation Surveyor is installed. In this configuration, the SoftGenetics
Server service must be installed on each computer on which Mutation Surveyor is installed.
Because the same user management configuration is part of the installation process for
Geneticist Assistant and NextGENe, the steps that you must follow to install the
SoftGenetics Server service depend on whether Geneticist Assistant and/or NextGENe has
already been installed on the localhost. Alternatively, a single server can host the
SoftGenetics Server service and you can configure each Mutation Surveyor host to connect
to this single server to verify user credentials. When you configure user management, you
must always configure the Administrator user account first. Only the Administrator user has
all the necessary privileges for managing other users. All other users are standard users.
After you configure user management, you must turn on user management. You can also
always turn off user management at any time without deleting any of the user configuration
information.

If you changed the directory for storing the MySQL information that Mutation
Surveyor uses from the default directory (C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server
5.1\Data), then before configuring user management, you must contact
[email protected].

To configure user management

The following procedures details the configuration of user management
independently for each computer (localhost) on which Mutation Surveyor is
installed. To configure user management with a single server hosting the
SoftGenetics Server service, contact [email protected].

1. If Geneticist Assistant or NextGENe is already installed on the computer on which you

are configuring user management for Mutation Surveyor, go to “To turn on user
management” on page 34; otherwise, do the following:
• Log on to the host computer as a Windows user that is a local Administrator.
• To avoid issues with User Account Control settings, right-click on the Mutation
Surveyor desktop shortcut and on the context menu that opens, select Run as
administrator.
2. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Help > User Management > Install Local
Service.
The License page for the SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard opens. The page details the
license agreement for installing the SoftGenetics Server service.

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Be patient. It might take a few minutes for the SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard to
open.

Figure 1-13: SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard, License Agreement page

3. Click I Agree to accept the license agreement.

The Settings page for the SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard opens. By default, the page
is prepped for configuring the Administrator user.
Figure 1-14: SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard, Settings page

4. Do the following:
• Leave the user name set to Administrator, or modify it as needed.
• In the Password field, enter the password for the Administrator user.

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The only invalid character for the password is a space.There are no other special
requirements or restrictions for the Administrator password. It can adhere to your
organization’s standards and any other requirements as needed. If you forget or
lose this password, it is not recoverable.

• In the Verify field, enter the Administrator password exactly as you entered it in the
Password field.
• In the Email field, enter the email address for the Administrator user.

The current version of User Management does not support email notifications;
however, an email address is still required.

5. Click Install.

After you select the server, the space requirements for installing the SoftGenetics
Server service are displayed on the page. Make sure that you have sufficient space
on the computer to install this service.

Figure 1-15: SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard, Installation page

Note the following about the installation:

• If MySQL has not already been installed on the localhost, then after installation of
MySQL is complete, click Close at the prompt; otherwise, the installation begins
with the installation of the other server components (Python, Django, and Apache).
• During the installation of the other server components, you might receive Security
Alerts. The installation is set up to handle these alerts and with the exception of a
Windows Security Alert for Apache (see below), no special action is required.
• After Apache is installed, a Windows Security Alert opens indicating that the
Windows Firewall has blocked some features of the installation. Click Allow access
to allow the Apache HTTP Server to operate correctly on the localhost.

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Figure 1-16: Windows Security Alert for Apache

After installation is complete, Completed is displayed at the top of the Installation page.
Figure 1-17: SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard, Installation page for completed installation

6. Click Close.
The SoftGenetics Server Setup wizard closes. Mutation Surveyor remains open.
7. Continue to “To turn on user management” below.

To turn on user management

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Help > User Management > Manage
Settings.
The User Management Settings dialog box opens. The General tab is the open tab.

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Figure 1-18: User Management Settings dialog box, General tab

2. Leave Service host set to localhost.

3. Select Turn on user management.
Remember last user becomes available.
4. Leave Remember last user, or optionally, clear it.

If Remember last user is selected, then when a user logs into Mutation Surveyor,
the Username field on the Login dialog box is automatically populated with the
user name for the user who last logged into Mutation Surveyor.

5. Select Use GA configuration to integrate user accounts between multiple SoftGenetics

products.
6. Click OK.
The Administrator Verification dialog box opens. The dialog box indicates that
Administrator verification is required to apply the changes.
Figure 1-19: Administrator Verification dialog box

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7. In the Username field, leave the Administrator username as-is, or optionally, modify the
name as needed.
8. In the Password field, enter the password for the Administrator user.
9. Click OK.
A message opens, indicating that to apply the changes that Mutation Surveyor must be
closed and reopened and asking you if you want to close Mutation Surveyor now.
10. Click Yes.
The message closes.
11. Start Mutation Surveyor.
The Login dialog box opens.
Figure 1-20: Mutation Surveyor Login dialog box

12. Enter the Administrator username and password, and then click OK.
The Login dialog box closes and Mutation Surveyor opens. Now, every time a user
opens Mutation Surveyor, they are prompted to enter a username and password before
they can use the application.

If you are the Administrator user, you should now continue to setting up the
needed groups and users for your Mutation Surveyor instance. See “Managing
Groups in Mutation Surveyor” on page 38 and “Managing Users in Mutation
Surveyor” on page 43.

To turn off user management

After configuring and turning on user management for your Mutation Surveyor instance, as
the Administrator user, you always have the option of turning off user management. This
does not delete any user configuration information. It simply means that users are not
required to be authenticated before they log in to and use Mutation Surveyor. You can always
turn user management back on.
1. Start Mutation Surveyor.
The Login dialog box opens.

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Figure 1-21: Mutation Surveyor Login dialog box

2. Enter the Administrator username and password, and then click OK.
Mutation Surveyor opens.
3. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Help > User Management > Manage
Settings.
The User Management dialog box opens. The General tab is the open tab. Turn on user
management is selected.
Figure 1-22: User Management Settings dialog box, General tab

4. Clear Turn on user management.

5. Click OK.
A message opens, indicating that to apply the changes that Mutation Surveyor must be
closed and reopened and asking you if you want to close Mutation Surveyor now.
6. Click Yes.
The message and Mutation Surveyor close. Now, any user can start Mutation Surveyor
without any authentication. The user configuration information, however, is not deleted,
so you can always turn user management back on if needed.

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Managing Groups in Mutation Surveyor

Users are the people who log into Mutation Surveyor, whether they are adding and
reviewing content, or just using the application in a read-only capacity. A group is a
collection of users that have the same permissions in Mutation Surveyor. As the
Administrator user for Mutation Surveyor, you are responsible for managing all the groups
for your Mutation Surveyor instance and managing the users for these groups to ensure that
your users have the appropriate permissions available to them in Mutation Surveyor. You can
assign users to one of the four default groups that are installed with every instance of
Mutation Surveyor, or you can create your own groups with the needed permissions, and
then assign users to one of these groups.

Mutation Surveyor Default User Group

Reporter Technician Analyst Supervisor
Assigned Permissions
View Project Y Y Y Y
Export Results Y Y Y Y
Create and Run Project N Y Y Y
Re-run Project N N Y Y
Edit Variants N N Y Y
Manage Analysis Settings N N Y Y
Manage Report Settings N N Y Y
Manage Knowledge Base N N N Y

Managing groups for Mutation Surveyor consists of adding new groups, editing existing
groups, and deleting groups.

To manage groups in Mutation Surveyor

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Help > User Management > Manage
Settings.
The User Management Settings dialog box opens. The General tab is the open tab. See
Figure 1-22 on page 37.
2. Click the Groups tab to open it.
The tab lists the four default groups that are installed with every instance of Mutation
Surveyor as well as any groups that have been configured for your Mutation Surveyor
instance. If applicable, it also lists any groups that have been configured for your
Geneticist Assistant and/or NextGENe instances. See Figure 1-23 on page 39.

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Figure 1-23: User Management Settings dialog box, Groups tab

3. Optionally, to view a list of all users that are currently assigned to a group, select the
group.
The users that are assigned to the selected group are displayed alphabetically by
username in the User list pane.
4. Continue to one of the following:
• “To add a new group” on page 40.
• “To edit a group” on page 40.
• “To delete a group” on page 41.

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To add a new group

1. Click Add Group.
The Add Group dialog box opens.
Figure 1-24: Add Group dialog box

2. In the Group name field, enter the name for the new group.
3. On the Permissions list, select the permissions for the new group.
4. Click OK.
A message opens, indicating that the new group was successfully created.
5. Click OK.
The message closes. The Groups tab remains open with the newly added group
displayed on the tab.
6. Click OK.
The User Management Settings dialog box closes.

To edit a group
Editing a group from the Groups tab consists of modifying the permissions for the group. If
you want to edit a group by adding or deleting users, then you must do so from the Users tab.
(See “Managing Users in Mutation Surveyor” on page 43.) Also, you cannot edit a group
name. If you need to rename a group, then you must delete the current group, and create a
new group with the new name, and then reassign all the users who were associated with the
deleted group to this new group.

Although you can edit the permissions that are assigned to the Mutation Surveyor
default groups, SoftGenetics strongly recommends that you not do so. Instead, you
should create a new group with the appropriate permissions and then assign users
to the new group.

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1. Select the group for which you are modifying the permissions, and then click Edit
Group.
The Edit Group dialog box opens. The group name is displayed in the Group name field,
and you cannot edit it. The permissions that are currently assigned to the group are also
displayed.
Figure 1-25: Edit Group dialog box

2. Modify the permissions for the group as needed.

3. Click OK.
A message opens, indicating that the group was successfully edited.
4. Click OK.
The message closes. The Groups tab remain opens.
5. Click OK.
The User Management Settings dialog box closes.

To delete a group
Although you can delete any of the Mutation Surveyor default groups,
SoftGenetics strongly recommends that you not do so. Instead, you should delete
only those custom groups that you have added for your Mutation Surveyor
installation.

1. Select the group that you are deleting, and then click Delete Group.
A message opens, indicating that you are deleting the selected group, and prompting you
to click OK to confirm the deletion.

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2. Click OK.
The message closes, and a second message opens, indicating that you have successfully
deleted the selected group.
3. Click OK.
The second message closes. The entry for the group is removed from the Groups tab.The
Groups tab remains open.
4. Click OK.
The User Management Settings dialog box closes.

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Managing Users in Mutation Surveyor

Users are the people who log into Mutation Surveyor, whether they are adding and
reviewing content, or just using the application in a read-only capacity. If you are the
Administrator user for Mutation Surveyor, then you are responsible for managing all the
other users. Managing users for Mutation Surveyor consists of adding new users, editing
existing users, and deleting users. You can also view the activity for your Mutation Surveyor
users (logging in to or logging out of Mutation Surveyor) in a log file.

To manage users in Mutation Surveyor

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Help > User Management > Manage
Settings.
The User Management Settings dialog box opens. The General tab is the open tab. See
Figure 1-22 on page 37.
2. Optionally, to view the activity for your Mutation Surveyor users (logging in to or
logging out of Mutation Surveyor) in a log file, click View Log.
The User Management Log file opens onscreen. The file lists all the activity for your
Mutation Surveyor users, and if applicable, for your Geneticist Assistant and/or
NextGENe users as well. You can click Save to File to save the log file with a name and
a location of your choosing.
Figure 1-26: User Management Log file

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3. Click the Users tab to open it.

The tab lists all the user accounts that have been configured for your Mutation Surveyor
instance, and if applicable, any user accounts that have been configured for your
Geneticist Assistant and/or NextGENe instances.
Figure 1-27: User Management Settings dialog box, Users tab

4. Continue to one of the following:

• “To add a user” on page 45.
• “To edit a user” on page 46.
• “To delete a user” on page 47.

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To add a user
1. Click Add User.
The Add User dialog box opens.
Figure 1-28: Add User dialog box

2. Enter the information for the new user:

• In the Username field, enter the appropriate user name.
• In the Password field, enter the password for the user.

The only invalid character is a space. There are no other special requirements or
restrictions for the user password. It can adhere to your organization’s standards
and any other requirements as needed. If you forget or lose this password, it is not
recoverable.

• In the Verify field, enter the user password exactly as you entered it in the Password
field.
• Optionally, in the Email field, enter the email address for the user.

The current version of User Management does not support email notifications;
however, you can still enter an email address.

3. Assign the user to a selected group.

By assigning a user to a group assigns the user’s permissions for Mutation

Surveyor. If the appropriate group is not available, then you must add the group.
See “Managing Groups in Mutation Surveyor” on page 38.

4. Optionally, if the user is to be responsible for User Management in Mutation Surveyor

(managing groups and users), then select System administrator.

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5. Click OK.
A message opens, indicating that the new user was created successfully.
6. Click OK.
The message closes. The entry for the new user is displayed on the Users tab. The Users
tab remains open.
7. Click OK.
The User Management Settings dialog box closes.

To edit a user
You can edit the password, the email address, and the groups for a user. For any user other
than the default Administrator user, you can edit the System administrator status. You cannot
edit the username for any user. To edit the username, you must delete the user, and then
create a new user with a different username. See “To delete a user” on page 47.
1. Select the user that you are editing, and then click Edit User.
The Edit User dialog box opens.
Figure 1-29: Edit User dialog box

2. Edit the information for the user as needed:

• To edit the password, select New password, and then do the following:
• In the Password field, enter the password for the user.

The only invalid character is a space. There are no other special requirements or
restrictions for the user password. It can adhere to your organization’s standards
and any other requirements as needed. If you forget or lose this password, it is not
recoverable.

• In the Verify field, enter the user password exactly as you entered it in the
Password field.

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• Enter an email address for the user, or edit the existing address as needed.
• Select a different group for the user.
• Select or clear the System administrator status for the user.
3. Click OK.
A message opens, indicating that the new user was updated successfully.
4. Click OK.
The message closes. The entry for the user is updated accordingly on the Users tab.
5. Click OK.
The User Management Settings dialog box closes.

To delete a user
You cannot delete the default Administrator user. To edit the name for a user, you must delete
the user, and then create a new user with a different user name. See “To add a user” on page
45.
1. Select the user that you are deleting, and then click Delete User.
A message opens, indicating that you are deleting the user and asking you to click OK to
continue.
2. Click OK.
The message closes, and a second message opens indicating that the selected user was
successfully deleted.
3. Click OK.
The second message closes. The entry for the user is removed from the Users tab. The
Users tab remains open.
4. Click OK.
The User Management Settings dialog box closes.

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Chapter 2
Project Setup
To set up a project in Mutation Surveyor, you must understand about the different file types,
how to modify the default Mutation Surveyor project settings, and then using this
information to set up a project that meets your working needs. You can set up single or
multiple projects in Mutation Surveyor. This chapter guides you through the necessary steps
for setting up a single project in Mutation Surveyor.

For information about working with multiple Mutation Surveyor projects,

including processing and displaying results, see Chapter 11, “Multiple Projects,”
on page 313.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• “Project File Types” on page 50.
• “Modifying the Default Mutation Surveyor Project Settings” on page 52.
• “Setting up a Single Mutation Surveyor Project” on page 70.

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Project File Types

A project in Mutation Surveyor can have up to three different types of files—sample files,
reference files, and GenBank files. Each file serves a different purpose in the project, each
file has a different source, and each file type has its own unique requirements.

Sample file
The sample file is always a required file for a Mutation Surveyor project. The Sample file is
the file that contains an unknown base sequence that you want to determine. A sample file
must be in one of the following formats—SCF, AB1/ABI, GZ, ESD, or RSD. A sample file
can be a single one-directional file or it can be two separate files, with one file containing the
forward read and the other file containing the overlapping reverse read.

If your sample files are human DNA, then you have the option of loading only
sample files. See “Automatic GenBank download” on page 51.

Reference file
The Reference file contains a known base sequence to which your sample files are
compared. The Reference file is always a required file in a Mutation Surveyor project;
however, the file source can vary. You can manually load a reference file, or you can have
Mutation Surveyor create a synthetic reference file. The loaded file must be in one of the
following formats—SCF, AB1/ABI, GZ, ESD, or RSD. If you do not load a reference file
and your files do not meet the requirements for an Automatic GenBank download (see
“Automatic GenBank download” on page 51) then you must have a GenBank file loaded so
that Mutation Surveyor can automatically create a synthetic reference file for each contig
based on the loaded GenBank file.

GenBank file
A GenBank file is a text-based file that shows the amino acid translation that corresponds to
the base coding sequence (CDS). A GenBank file is always an optional file for a Mutation
Surveyor project. The required file format is either GBK, GB, or SEQ. If you load a
GenBank file, then Mutation Surveyor automatically creates a synthetic reference file for
each contig based on the loaded GenBank file. Additionally, FASTA or FA files can be
loaded as a GenBank file, but no CDS annotation will be provided.

You can load a GenBank file even you have loaded reference files for a project.
This can be useful if you want to determine systematic errors in your amplicons
such as PCR artifacts. See “GenBank/Reference Comparison” on page 58.

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Automatic GenBank download

If your sample files are human DNA, then you have the option of loading only sample files
for a Mutation Surveyor project. When you run the project, by default, Mutation Surveyor
automatically accesses a GenBank database on SoftGenetics’s bwt server (this database
contains Build 37 of the human genome) and downloads the correct GenBank reference file
(gene) to which to match the sample files.

You can change the default location from which to download the GenBank
reference file. See “Automatically Download GenBank Files” on the “” on page
66.

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Modifying the Default Mutation Surveyor Project

Settings
When you run a mutation project, you can use the default values for the mutation project
settings, or you can modify any or all the settings as needed. You use the Mutation Project
Settings dialog box to modify the settings for a mutation project. You can modify the value
for two types of project settings—analysis settings and output/display settings.
• Analysis settings—Analysis settings determine how your data is analyzed and therefore,
which positions in your sample traces are called as mutations and which are not. Any
difference that is found between your sample traces and reference traces must meet all the
project analysis settings to be called as a mutation. You must modify the analysis settings
before running a project. The Input tab, the Contig tab, and the Database tab contain only
analysis settings. Other analysis settings are found on the following tabs:

Tab Project Analysis Settings

Mutation • Mutation Detection
• Peak Fronting
• Base Labeling
• Data Processing
Display • Check 2D Small Peaks (Mosaic)
Others • Check Gene Direction
• Methylation

• Output/display parameters—Output/display parameters do not affect the analysis of your

data. They simply determine how your data is displayed to you in the different frames of
the Graphical Analysis Display (GAD) for a project. For example, is an identified
mutation displayed in red or blue in the Mutation table of the GAD? You can modify the
output/display settings (found on the Mutation tab, the Output tab, the Display tab, the 2
Directions tab, the Others tab, and the Database tab) before or after running a project.

For detailed information about the Graphical Analysis Display for a project, see
Chapter 3, “Graphical Analysis Display,” on page 75.

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To modify the default Mutation Surveyor project settings

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Process > Settings.
The Mutation Project Settings dialog box opens. The Contig tab is the active tab.
2. Do one of the following:
• Click Load Settings to browse to and select a saved Settings file (.ini file) to analyze
and display the project results according to the settings in the file.
• Modify the project values as needed on any of the tabs. See:
• “Input tab” on page 54.
• “Contig tab” on page 55.
• “Mutation tab” on page 59.
• “Output tab” on page 62.
• “Display tab” on page 64.
• “2 Directions tab” on page 65.
• “” on page 66.
• “Database tab” on page 69.

To reset all values on all tabs to their default values in a single step, click Default.

3. Optionally, before you process the files, click Save Settings to save the settings that you
have specified to a Settings.ini file.

You can always load this file at a later date and process other data files according
to the saved settings in the file.

4. Click OK.
• Unless you modify the values again, all new projects are carried out according to the
options that you have loaded/specified.
• If you load an existing project, the options revert to those set for the project. If you
run a new project after loading an existing project, the new project is carried out
according to the existing project settings.
5. Continue to “Setting up a Single Mutation Surveyor Project” on page 70.

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Input tab
Figure 2-1: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Input tab

Option Description
Trace File (both Raw These options are applicable only if you loaded AB1/ABI sample files.
and Processed) • Load Raw Data—Loads only the raw trace (no baseline substraction,
no smoothing, no mobility shift correction, or no base calling) in the
AB1/ABI sample files for analysis.
Note: If the project contains only a few traces and some of the traces
have heterozygous substitutions close to the start of the traces,
then the mobility shift correction that Mutation Surveyor carries
out might cause a single heterozygous peak to be corrected into
two homozygous peaks, which results in a false positive of a
single base insertion.
• Load Processed Data—The default value. Loads only the processed
data in the AB1/ABI sample files for analysis.
Phred Score • Display Processed Trace Phred Scores—Load the Phred scores that
(Processed Data) are contained within the traces for each base.
• Display Mobility-corrected Phred Scores—Load the Phred scores
that Mutation Surveyor has calculated for each base.

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Contig tab
Figure 2-2: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Contig tab

Option Description
Contig
Fragment Size The number of sequential bases that are used for base matching. The
default value is 12. The allowed range is 10 -16 bases. Mutation
Surveyor evaluates a string of 12 bases in the sample trace and
compares this string to the reference trace. If the string matches the
reference trace, Mutation Surveyor moves to the next series of 12 bases
and makes another comparison. Mutation Surveyor continues with
these matching steps until it is able to determine whether the sample
trace belongs to an existing contig or whether the sample trace belongs
in its own contig.
Matching Base Number The minimum number of bases that must match between two sample
traces for the traces to be placed in the same contig. The default value
is 60.The allowed range is 20 -100 bases.
Matching Base The minimum percentage of bases that must match between two
Percentage sample traces for the traces to be placed in the same contig. The default
value is 30%.The allowed range is 20 - 90%.

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Option Description
Force Into One Contig Place sample traces that meet all the matching base criteria and that
differ in the starting base positions by <= 300 bps into one contig.
Note: Selected by default. If the quality of the sequences differs and
sequences might be placed into either of two contigs, the
samples might be placed into a different contig than expected. if
samples that should be grouped into the same contig are not
being grouped correctly using the Force Into One Contig option,
then select Exclude 1st Base Difference > [ ] and accept the
default value of 200 bps.
Note: If you are using a Grouping File to correctly pair your sample
files, make sure that this option is not selected. See “Pairing” on
page 57.
Exclude 1st Base Place sample traces that meet all the matching base criteria but that
Difference > [ ] differ in the starting base positions by more than “n” number of bases
into two contigs. The default value is 200 bps.
Note: Force into One Contig and Exclude First Base Difference sort contigs using only base
calling (peak quality is not evaluated) and therefore, are carried out before quality trimming.
(See “Quality Trim” on page 58.) If neither Force into one Contig nor Exclude 1st Base
Difference > [ ] is selected, then:
• Place sample traces with > 500 bps that meet all the matching base criteria and that differ in the
starting base positions by <= 250 bps into one contig.
• Place sample traces with > 300 bps and < 500 bps that meet all the matching base criteria and
that differ in the starting base positions by < read length/2 bps into one contig.
• Place sample traces with < 300 bps that meet all the matching base criteria and that differ in the
starting base positions by < 150 bps into one contig.
Base Patch If you are attempting to make mutation calls in the first 50 bases of
sample traces, but the calls are being missed, then select Base Patch to
correct the poor mobility shift at the starting of traces. With this option
selected, Mutation Surveyor evaluates the spacing between each peak,
and based on the results of this evaluation, Mutation Surveyor might
make a different base call than what is included in the original trace.
Note: If you are analyzing AB1/ABI files and these issues are still not
corrected with Base Patch selected, select Load Raw Data on
the Options tab. See “Trace File (both Raw and Processed)” on
page 54.
Calculate Lane Quality Calculate the lane quality for the Region of Interest in the GenBank file,
Within the Region of not the entire trace. If the ROI extends beyond the comparison region,
Interest then the ROI quality score is adjusted by the percent overlap of the
aligned region and the ROI. For example, if the ROI length is 63 bp and
the length of the overlap between the aligned region and the ROI is 8,
then the percent overlap is 8/63 = 0.127. The currently calculated quality
score, which in this example is 88, is then adjusted by this percentage to
give the new quality score or (0.127)*(88) = 11.
Note: To define a Region of Interest (ROI) in a GenBank file, see
“Advanced GBK File Editor Tool” on page 231.

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Option Description
Use Amplicon to Two options:
Construct Contig • If all the filenames in a project contain an amplicon-specific
designator, then select Select from Character X to Y and enter the
starting and ending character positions of this designator. For
example, Figure 2-3 shows a series of sample file names with the
amplicon-specific designators of 10B and 11A located in positions 14
through 16 of the filename.
Figure 2-3: Amplicon-specific designators in sample file name

Note: If ROIs in the GenBank file are labeled with their Amplicon IDs,
then selecting this option ensures that the appropriate ROI is
evaluated for each amplicon.
• If your sample file names do not follow any file-naming standards,
and you used a Grouping File to load the sample files, then select
Use Sample Grouping file to help organize the contigs correctly. See
“2D Filename Match Editor tool” on page 261.
Note: If you do use a Grouping File, then when you are adding sample
files to for your Mutation Surveyor project, make sure that Load
Grouping File is selected on the Open Files dialog box. When
you click Add in the Sample files pane, select the Grouping File.
All the sample files that are defined in the Grouping File are
added for the Mutation Surveyor project.
Pairing
Exact Filename F/R Select this option to pair your forward and reverse sample files if your
Match filenames differ only by the directional identifier (f or r). For example:

Exact Filename Match Select this option to pair your forward and reverse sample files if your
Before F/R filenames are identical before the directional identifier (f or r), but vary
after the directional identifier. For example:

Note: In some situations, neither of the above automatic file pairing options suits your current
needs. For example, your files might require a complete naming overhaul before you can
use either option. Additionally, you might want to set aside blocks of data for analysis at a
later date. In such a situation, you should create a Grouping File to load your sample files.
See “2D Filename Match Editor tool” on page 261.

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Option Description
Trimming
Quality Trim Eliminates low quality data at the starting and the end of a sample trace.
Quality trimming trims the sequence data based on the base quality. By
default, when the S/N Ratio is greater than 15 for 7 out of 9 sequential
bases, then mutation detection is carried out in this region.
Note: Quality Trim is always implemented in Mutation Surveyor which
is why the option is always selected and always unavailable. If
you select other trimming options, then all the selected trimming
methods are compared. The trimming method that results in the
greatest number of bases being trimmed is the trim method that
is applied. Quality Trimming is then applied after the selected
trimming method.
Vector Trim Trims the sample sequence according to a starting vector sequence and
an ending vector sequence that you define using the SEQ File Editor
tool. See “SEQ File Editor Tool” on page 246.
5’ Trim [ ] Trim the 5’ end of the sample trace by the indicated number of bases.
3’ Trim [ ] Trim the 3’ end of the sample trace by the indicated number of bases.
Score Trim [ ] Reject regions for mutation detection in which the base quality for 7 out
of 9 sequential bases falls below the specified value. For example, if the
Score Trim is set to a value of 10, and the S/N Ratio is 8 for 7 out of 9
sequential bases, then mutation detection is not carried out in this
region. The default value is 16.
Contig Sort By
Determines the sort order of multiple contigs in a project.
• Sample Filename
• Reference Filename
• Contig Num. of Sample Files
GenBank/Reference If you have both GenBank and reference files loaded, and this option is
Comparison selected, then Mutation Surveyor creates a synthetic sample trace from
the base sequence of the GenBank file and the reference trace to
classify the variance between the GenBank file and your reference files.
You can, in turn, use this variance to determine systematic errors in your
amplicons such as PCR artifacts.

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Mutation tab
Figure 2-4: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Mutation tab

Option Description
Mutation
Mutation Score Indicates the level of confidence that a called mutation is a true
mutation. The score is based on the concept of Phred scores, where
quality scores are logarithmically linked to error probabilities as shown
in Figure 2-5.
Figure 2-5: Phred scores and error probabilities

The values for “Overlapping Factor,” “Dropping Factor,” and “S/N Ratio”
are used in the calculation of the Mutation Score. The lower the score,
the greater number of mutation calls, but the confidence in the accuracy
of the calls is reduced. The default value is 5.00.
When calculating heterozygous and homozygous indel quality
score values, note that:
• Heterozygous Indel Score reflects the ratio of S/N before and after
the start of the event.
• Homozygous Indel Score evaluates the spacing between the flanking
aligned bases as well as signal in the uncalled region.
Mutation Height The minimum height (in RFU) required for a peak in the mutation trace
to be called as a mutation peak. The default value is 500 RFU.

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Option Description
Overlapping Factor The average of the following two values:
• The difference in the area between the reference peak and the
mutation peak.
• The difference in the area between the sample peak and the mutation
peak.
For an ideal mutation peak, the overlapping factor has a value of 1.0. In
reality, this value is typically less than one. The overlapping factor must
be greater than or equal to the specified value for the variant to be
called a mutation. The default value is .20, or 20%.
Figure 2-6: Calculating the Overlapping Factor

Difference in
area between
reference peak
and mutation
peak.
Difference in
area between
sample peak
and mutation
peak.
Mutation peak.

Dropping Factor Measures the drop in peak intensity at the variant position by
normalizing the peak intensity between the reference peak and the
sample peak at positions two through five on both sides of the variant.
The dropping factor for a homozygous mutation is 1, or 100%. The
dropping factor for a heterozygous mutation is 0.5, or 50%. The
dropping factor must be greater than or equal to the specified value for
the variant to be called a mutation. The default value is .10, or 10%.
Figure 2-7: Calculating the Dropping Factor

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Option Description
S/N Ratio Signal (S) is defined as the mutation peak intensity and noise (N) is
defined as the median noise intensity for the mutation peak. The Signal
to Noise Ratio (S/N Ratio) determines how large the signal must be for a
mutation peak relative to the noise for the mutation to be registered.
Note: The minimum noise at a given base position is 250 RFU.
Note: S/N Ratio is output to some reports as SnRatio.
Mutation Detection
Determines the level of sensitivity that Mutation Surveyor uses to call
mutations.
• High sensitivity
• Medium sensitivity
Note: There are many functions that change the parameters between
these two options. For example, if in 2D data, one trace
indicates a mutation at a location, but the other trace does not,
Mutation Surveyor checks for local base quality and decides
whether to add or delete the mutation. In other situations,
statistical analyses are carried out for the contigs to check for
possible missed mutations, reported mutations are checked for
missed mutations and so on. If you are concerned that your
data might be showing a high number of false positives, then
set the sensitivity to medium to reduce the number of false
positives.
Allow for Hypervariable Select this option to have Mutation Surveyor automatically extend the
Mutation Detection starting and ending positions for the aligned comparison region if both of
the following conditions are met:
• At least 4 of 10 consecutive bases outside of the aligned comparison
region have a Phred-like score >=15.
• At least 8 of 12 consecutive bases outside of the aligned comparison
region are identical to the reference bases.
Note: By extending this region, more potential mutations can be
called, which is especially useful for samples that are known to
have a high mutation frequency such as viruses and the human
leukocyte antigen system (HLA).
Delete Indels/het_indels Select this option to have Mutation Surveyor automatically delete all
Automatically insertion and deletion calls from the project.
Note: Selecting this option helps to eliminate false positives that are
common to hypervariable sequences.
Allow Software to Select this option to have Mutation Surveyor automatically delete
Delete Mutations illogical mutation calls and mutation calls that have high background
noise (> 250 RFU).
Delete Indels Outside of If selected, then Mutation Surveyor automatically deletes insertions and/
ROI or deletions that fall outside the ROI.

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Option Description
Peak Fronting
Correction Peak Fronting is often seen as a smaller peak that is in front of a major
peak of the same color, which means that the peaks represent the same
base in the sequence. This small peak is often the result of PCR
reactions of a dye-labeled terminator when concentrated reagents are
used. With Peak Fronting Correction, the minor peak is reduced in size
relative to the major peak. The default value is 1%.
Note: Peak Fronting Correction might reduce the mutation intensity of
some peaks in the mutation trace.
Note: Newer chemistries often have less peak fronting, so lowering
this value can increase the sensitivity of mutation detection.
Base Labeling - Determines the point on a peak that is used for determining peak height.
• Original • Use the base position that was defined by the original base calling
software.
• Peak Center • Use the bases at the center of the peak to determine peak height.
Data Processing
Dye blob baseline noise If the sequence traces exhibit broad peaks caused by a dye blob, then
removal the baseline might introduce artifacts into the trace. Select this option to
remove the baseline noise that is caused by a dye blob.
Note: Baseline removal might reduce the mutation intensity of some
peaks in the mutation trace.

Output tab
Figure 2-8: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Output tab

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Option Description
Output Table Fields Select the fields that are to be displayed in the Viewing and Reporting
pane for the different standard mutation reports.
Note: Base Score - The average value of the Phred scores in the
comparison region. The Phred score can be derived by either
the Processed Trace Phred scores or the Mobility-corrected
Phred scores.
Note: The selections that you make here affect all standard mutation
reports en masse. You cannot select different fields for different
reports. See Chapter 5, “Mutation Surveyor Standard Reports,”
on page 125.
Quality Thresholds Lane Quality >= [ ]—Lane quality is a measure of the S/N Ratio within a
sample trace prior to alignment to a reference trace. After the sample
trace is aligned to the reference trace, peak spacing in the sample trace
is adjusted, which often results in higher lane quality. Lane quality
ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest quality. If multiple
reference files are available, Mutation Surveyor chooses the reference
file with the highest lane quality.
Note: “Low Quality” is displayed in the Lane Quality column in reports
for a trace with lane quality that falls below the Quality
Threshold.
Output Limits
CDS Only Limits the graphical output to the CDS.
• Before (After) CDS • Available only if CDS Only is selected. Specify the number of bases
that are to precede/follow the coding region.
Region of Interest Only Limits the graphical output to Regions of Interest.

Print Default Header Selected by default. Prints the default Header information on a variety of
Information standard mutation reports.
Add dbSNP Id to Displays the dbSNP identifier in the Comments field for a standard
Comments mutation report when Comments are selected for output.
Mutation Call Make the mutation call based on the gene orientation. To make a
Nucleotides Relative to mutation call for a gene on the reverse strand, a reverse complement is
Gene Direction generated.

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Display tab
Figure 2-9: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Display tab

Option Description
Mutation Threshold
Determines how an identified mutation is displayed—red font (low confidence) or blue font (high
confidence)—in the different mutation reports. The values in the Reject column indicate the upper
rejection boundary. The values in the Pass column indicate the lower acceptance boundary.
• If the value for any of the mutation settings is less than the rejection boundary, then the mutation
is rejected and is not displayed in the different mutation reports.
• If the values for all the mutation settings fall within the indicated ranges, the mutation is accepted
and displayed in red in the different mutation reports.
• If the values for all the mutation settings exceed their acceptance boundaries, then the mutation
is accepted and displayed in blue in different mutation reports.
Note: For 2D data, the mutation scores (F and R) are summed and the sum score is used to
determine if the mutation call is rejected, passed, or put into check.
Amino Acid • 1 Letter—Display 1 Letter IUPAC amino acid code in the mutation
reports and views.
• 3 Letter—Display 3 Letter IUPAC amino acid code in the mutation
reports and views.
• With Indel Changes—Selected by default. Displays the amino acid
output including indels. Clear this option to display the amino acid
output without indels.

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Option Description
Position • Contig—Show the position within the GenBank file for the queried
contig in the Nucleotide Sequence frame and Mutation table of the
GAD, and in the Project Reviewer report.
• Chromosome—Show the chromosome position for the queried contig
in the Nucleotide Sequence frame and Mutation table of the GAD,
and in the Project Reviewer report.
Note: The Chromosome option works correctly only if the GenBank
file contains chromosome information; otherwise, Mutation
Surveyor defaults to showing the contig information.
Check 2D Small Peaks • Check—If selected, Mutation Surveyor searches for minor alleles that
(Mosaic) are present within the baseline of bi-directionally aligned peaks and
indicates their presence with a short green bar.
Note: This option is useful for somatic mutation detection.
• Height Threshold—Available only if Check 2D Small Peaks is
selected. Specify the RFU value for the smallest peak that is to be
detected.
Maximum Height in If the height of a peak in the mutation trace exceeds this maximum
Mutation value, then Mutation Surveyor normalizes the peak to this maximum
Electropherogram height. The default value is 5000 RFU.
Display Phred Score If selected, the Phred-like score for each peak in the mutation trace is
displayed in the sample trace directly below the base call.
Display Negative SNPs If selected, positions with reported variations that do not contain the
SNP are indicated in the Graphical Analysis Display (GAD) by showing
the possible alleles in green at the top of the mutation trace.

2 Directions tab
Figure 2-10: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, 2 Directions tab

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Option Description
2 Directions Select this option if 2D is being analyzed.
1 Direction Select this option 1D data is being analyzed.
Note: You can select the 2 Directions options for 1D data.

For 2D data, the mutation scores (F and R) are summed and the sum score is used to
determine if the mutation call is rejected, passed, or put into check. Figure 2-11 below
illustrates how 2 Directions settings work based on the default values for a mutation project.
Figure 2-11: Examination of 2D mutation data

For 1D data that is being analyzed with 2D settings, a mutation is called if it meets one of the
following parameters; otherwise, it is rejected.
• Score > SumScoreReject
• Score > SumScoreReject*0.8 and Dropping Factor >= 0.3
• Score > SumScoreReject*0.6 and Dropping Factor >= 0.35
• Score > SumScoreReject*0.4 and Dropping Factor >= 0.4
Figure 2-12 below illustrates these parameters based on the default value of 20 for the
SumScoreReject.
Figure 2-12: Examination of 1D mutation data analyzed with 2D settings

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Others tab
Figure 2-13: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Others tab

Option Description
Database URL
Automatically Download • If your sample files are human DNA, then you have the option of
GenBank Files loading only sample files for a Mutation Surveyor project. When you
run the project with this option selected, Mutation Surveyor
automatically accesses the database that is specified by the URL and
downloads the correct GenBank file (gene) to which to match the
sample files.
Note: The default URL is GRCh38. Click on the drop-down arrow to
change to GRCh37 or GRCh36. Click on Update URLs to
manually add a new database URL.
User Local Directory • If the GenBank file to which you want to match your sample files
resides in a directory on your local computer, clear the Automatically
Download GenBank Files option, and then click the Browse button

to browse to and select the local directory path.

Check Gene Direction

Automatically Adjust Selected by default. Determines whether the queried gene in the
GenBank Direction GenBank file is complemented based on its location (plus (+) or
minus (-) strand).
• Selected by default. Orient GenBank files in Gene Direction
• Orient GenBank files in Chromosome Direction

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Option Description
Inspect GenBank for Selected by default. Determines if the GenBank file header contains the
Chromosome Positions genome build, the chromosome name, and the chromosome position. If
this information is present, then chromosome information can be
displayed in the Nucleotide Sequence frame and the Mutation table in
the GAD, and the Project Reviewer report; otherwise, only the contig
information can be displayed.
Note: If you clear this selection, then Mutation Surveyor does not
notify you when chromosome options will not work correctly;
however, if chromosome information is contained in the
GenBank file, then the chromosome options still work correctly.
Query Reference Not selected by default. If a GenBank file is not loaded for the project,
Traces but reference traces are, then the sample traces are aligned only to the
reference traces. If selected, Mutation Surveyor downloads the
appropriate GenBank file for the project, and aligns both the reference
and sample traces to the GenBank file for annotation.
Methylation
Methylation Select this option if methylated samples are to be analyzed.
• Set By User • Select this option to manually specify which forms of methylation
Mutation Surveyor should detect.
• Automethylation • Selected by default when Methylation is selected. Mutation Surveyor
automatically detects methylated sequences.
Note: For information about methylation detection in Mutation Surveyor, see “Methylation
Detection” on page 301.

Figure 2-14: Database URL, Update URLs button

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Database tab
Some GenBank files contain only NT-accession numbers and not chromosome information.
You specify the database on the Database tab that is to be used to translate these contig
positions into chromosome positions.
Figure 2-15: Mutation Project Settings dialog box, Database tab

Option Description
Host The address for the Annotation Database server. The default value is set to
localhost, which assumes that the server is installed on the same computer as
Mutation Surveyor. If this is correct, then leave the default value as-is.;
otherwise, modify the value accordingly.
Port Leave this option set to the default value of 3306 only if no other application is
already using MySQL on the port; otherwise, modify the value accordingly.
User The user name for MySQL. Leave this option set to the default value of
softgenetics unless your administrator has changed it.
Password The password for MySQL. Leave this option set to the default value unless
your administrator has changed it.
Show Database To verify the MySQL connection and populate the list of available annotation
databases, click this option.
Note: If the MySQL connection cannot be verified, an error message opens
indicating this, and that the list of annotation databases cannot be
populated. Verify that you have imported the necessary annotation
databases (see the Reference and Track Manager Tool User’s
Manual) and/or contact for your administrator for assistance.
Annotation DB Select the appropriate annotation database.

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Setting up a Single Mutation Surveyor Project

When you set up any Mutation Surveyor project, the following caveats apply:
• For one directional data, you can enter 48 or 2000 sample files depending on the version
of Mutation Surveyor that you purchased. Only a single reference file is required.
• For two directional data, you can enter 24 or 1000 pairs of sample files depending on the
version of Mutation Surveyor that you purchased. Both a forward reference file and a
reverse reference file are required.
• Sample files and reference files are limited to a read length of 2500 bps. GenBank files
are limited to a read length of 10 Mbp per file.
• If your amplicons do not overlap and your forward and reverse directional pairs have
similar start and end locations, then the forward and reverse files with similar names that
have been grouped in the same contig are automatically paired.

To set up a Mutation Surveyor project

The following procedure details how to set up a single new Mutation Surveyor
project. For information about setting up and working with multiple Mutation
Surveyor projects, see Chapter 11, “Multiple Projects,” on page 313.

1. Confirm that your Mutation Surveyor project options are correctly set, or modify them
as needed. (See “Modifying the Default Mutation Surveyor Project Settings” on page
52.)
2. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click File > Open Files.
The Open Files dialog box opens.
Figure 2-16: Open Files dialog box

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3. For each file type that you are adding to the project:
• Click Add in the appropriate pane. (For example, to add a GenBank file, click Add
in the GenBank Sequence File pane.)
• In the Open <File> dialog box, browse to and select the files that you are adding to
the project. (CTRL-click to select multiple files.)
• Click Open to add the files to the project, and then click OK.
4. Optionally, to view the data before it is aligned, expand the Sample file folder in the
Browser pane, and then double-click a sample file. You can do any of the following to
change the view of the data:
• Zoom in - Click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the upper left
hand corner of the pane towards the lower right hand corner. A box is formed around
the area that being reduced for viewing.
• Zoom out - Click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the lower right
hand corner of the pane towards the upper left hand corner. (The magnification for
zooming out is always 100%.)
• Move left/right - Click and hold the right mouse button, and then drag the display to
the left or right.
• If the data does not include basecalling, or if you selected the Mutation Project
Setting “Load Raw Data”, click on the active “Raw Data to Processed Data” icon

( ) to view the basecalling as processed by Mutation Surveyor. See “Input tab”

on page 54.
Figure 2-17: Viewing unaligned data for a sample file

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5. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Process > Run.

Mutation Surveyor aligns the nucleotide sequences of the sample traces to the reference
traces and groups the sample traces into contigs based on their degree of overlap. (See
“Contig directory for a Mutation Surveyor project” below.) The reference traces and
sample traces are then compared at a trace by trace level to identify substitutions,
insertions, and deletions. All the variants are aligned in the Mutation report, which is
automatically displayed in the Viewing and Reporting pane after the project is run.
Figure 2-18: Mutation Report in Viewing and Reporting pane

6. On the main menu, click File > Save Mutation Project.

The project is assigned a default name and has the type of Mutation Project Files
(*.Sgp). You cannot change the file type, but you can change the project name and select
any location in which to save the project.

Contig directory for a Mutation Surveyor project

Mutation Surveyor aligns the nucleotide sequences of the sample traces to the reference
traces and groups the sample traces into contigs based on their degree of overlap. Because
contigs are organized relative to the reference file, forward and reverse sequence pairs are
grouped into two separate contig folders that are displayed in the Browser pane. The folders
are labeled as ContignF and ContignR, where F stands for forward sequence, R stands for
reverse sequence, and “n” stands for the contig file name, for example, Contig2F and
Contig2R. The number in the parenthesis after the contig name indicates the number of

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samples for the contig.

• A green File icon with a red checkmark indicates the active reference file for the
contig.
• If the reference file was derived from a GenBank file, a black checkmark indicates this
GenBank file.
• A green File icon indicates the sample file that is currently selected. The corresponding
data is displayed in the Viewing and Reporting pane of the GAD.
Figure 2-19: Contig directory in the Browser pane

You can right-click on the currently selected trace to open a context menu with the following
options:

Option Description
Copy Filename to Copies the complete file name for the selected trace to the clipboard. You
Clipboard can then paste the file name into a third-party application such as Word or
Excel as needed.
Add/Edit Comment Opens the Add/Edit Comments dialog box in which you can add/edit the
comments for the selected trace. The comments are displayed above the
sample trace in the GAD.
Figure 2-20: Add/Edit Trace Comments dialog box

Note: Trace comments can also be enabled in the Custom report. See
“Display tab” on page 172.
Delete Lane The Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality” in the GAD. All
the mutations for the deleted lane are removed from the Mutation table.
Note: The Delete Lane option is available for a contig on both the
Mutation table context menu and the Sample Trace name context
menu. See “GAD analysis options” on page 91.

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Option Description
Undo Lane Deletion The Lane Quality is reset to its original value in the GAD. All the mutations
for the deleted lane are again displayed in the Mutation table.
Note: The Undo Lane Deletion option is available for a contig on both
the Mutation table context menu and the Sample Trace name
context menu. See “GAD analysis options” on page 91.
Export Trace to Json Saves the selected trace in JSON format.

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Graphical Analysis Display
The Graphical Analysis Display visually presents mutation project data. A variety of options
are available for working with the display, including options for analyzing and manipulating
mutation project data so that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Graphical Analysis Display Layout” on page 77.
• “Graphical Analysis Display Navigation and Analysis Options” on page 90.
• “Exporting the GAD” on page 94.

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Graphical Analysis Display Layout

The Graphical Analysis Display (GAD) visually presents mutation project data in the
Viewing and Reporting pane. A variety of options are available for working with the display,
including options for analyzing and manipulating project data to identify the true mutations
in a project. To open the display for a mutation project, do one of the following:
• Double-click a sample file in the Mutation report.
• Double-click a sample file in the Browser pane.
• Double-click a specific mutation in the Mutation report.
Figure 3-1: Graphical Analysis Display in the Viewing and Reporting pane

1 - Nucleotide Sequence frame

2 - Amino Acid frame
3 - Tracks frame
4 - Sample Traces frame
5 - Mutation table

The Graphical Analysis Display for any mutation project has up to five major components.
Four of the five components—the Nucleotide Sequence frame, the Amino Acid frame, the
Sample Traces frame, and the Mutation table—are always displayed for a Mutation Surveyor
project. The fifth component, the Tracks frame, is displayed only if information has been
imported from an annotation database for the project, and/or false positives and/or artifacts
have been manually added to the project. From top to bottom, these components are:

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• The Nucleotide Sequence frame. See “Nucleotide Sequence frame” below.

• The Amino Acid frame. See “Amino Acid frame” on page 79.
• The Tracks frame. See “Tracks frame” on page 79.
• The Sample Traces frame. See “Sample Traces frame” on page 79.
• The Mutation table. See “Mutation table” on page 83.
The settings that you specify on the output/display tabs of the Mutation Project Settings
dialog box determine some of the information that is displayed in the GAD. If you modify a
setting on an output/display tab and then click OK, the GAD is dynamically updated to
reflect this change. (See “Modifying the Default Mutation Surveyor Project Settings” on
page 52.) In addition, the Mutation Surveyor toolbar is dynamically updated with buttons
that are specific for navigating and working with the GAD. (See “GAD Toolbar” on page
84.)

The following sections describe the GAD components for a 2D mutation project in
which a GenBank file was used to create a synthetic reference file. There are slight
differences for 1D projects, or for projects that did not use a GenBank file.

Nucleotide Sequence frame

The Nucleotide Sequence frame displays the GenBank file, the reference traces, and the
sample traces as called bases.
Figure 3-2: Nucleotide sequence frame

From top to bottom in the frame, the rows display the following information:
• Position Information—The option that is selected on the Display tab of the Mutation
Project Settings dialog box determines the information that is displayed in the first row.
The positions within the GenBank file for the queried contig are displayed if Contig is
selected. Chromosome number:chromosome positions are displayed if Chromosome is
selected. The location of the queried gene (plus (+) or minus strand (-)) and the option that
is selected for Automatically Adjust GenBank Direction on the Others tab determines the
order (ascending or descending) in which this position information is displayed.
• The nucleotide sequence for the GenBank file. Within a CDS, the GenBank nucleotides
are displayed in uppercase. Outside the coding region, the GenBank nucleotides are
displayed in lowercase. If the gene is on the minus (-) strand and Orient GenBank Files
in Gene Direction is selected for Automatically Adjust GenBank Direction, then the
nucleotide sequence is also displayed upside down.
• The nucleotide sequence for the forward reference trace.

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• The nucleotide sequence for the forward sample trace.

• The nucleotide sequence for the reverse sample trace.
• The nucleotide sequence for the reverse reference trace.
An asterisk indicates inconsistencies in base calls between traces. A black asterisk (*)
indicates an inconsistency in sequence between a reference trace and a sample trace. A red
asterisk (*) indicates an inconsistency in sequence between a reference trace and the
GenBank file.

Amino Acid frame

The Amino Acid frame displays the codon number and the IUPAC abbreviation (unless 3
letter abbreviation setting is selected) for the corresponding amino acid sequence for the
called bases that fall within a coding region in the GenBank sequence (the first line in the
frame) and in the sample file (the second line in the frame). Any differences between the
amino acid translations as the result of mutations in the sample file are therefore visible in
this frame. The frame also shows the coding DNA reference index. Just like the Nucleotide
Sequence frame, the location of the queried gene (plus (+) or minus strand (-)) and the option
that is selected for Automatically Adjust GenBank Direction on the Others tab determines
the order (ascending or descending) in which the codon numbers and c.dna numbers are
displayed.
Figure 3-3: Amino Acid frame

Tracks frame
The Tracks frame is displayed only if information has been imported from an annotation
database for the project, and/or false positives and/or artifacts have been manually added to
the project. A reported single base variant at a specific chromosome position is indicated by
a green tick mark. A reported variant that spans multiple bases at a specific chromosome
position is indicated by a green horizontal line. You can place your cursor over a green tick
mark or horizontal line to open a popup that displays detailed information for the reported
variant.
Figure 3-4: Tracks frame with mutation information displayed for a reported variant

Sample Traces frame

The Sample Traces frame displays the traces for a selected sample grouped by direction.

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From top to bottom, the forward reference trace, the forward sample trace, and the forward
mutation trace are grouped together, and from bottom to top, the reverse reference trace, the
reverse sample trace, and the reverse mutation trace are grouped together. The forward
direction group is marked by a light blue vertical bar to the left of the group and the reverse
direction group is marked by a light tan vertical bar to the left of the group. The trace name,
the sequence direction, and the lane quality are displayed above each trace. If any comments
have been added for a trace, they are also displayed above the trace. The location of the
queried gene (plus (+) or minus strand (-)) and the option that is selected for Automatically
Adjust GenBank Direction on the Others tab determines if the Reference trace is reverse
complemented or not. The X-axis indicates the frame number and the Y-axis indicates peak
intensity in Relative Fluorescence Units (RFU). The nucleotide numbering is from the 5’ end
to the 3’ end on the forward trace and from the 3’ end to the 5’end on the reverse trace. The
following section identifies the different parts of the traces. In addition, the different types of
peaks in the traces are identified with unique peak information. (See “Mutation trace legend”
below and “Mutation trace peak identification” on page 82.)
Figure 3-5: Reference traces. sample traces and mutation traces

Mutation trace legend

A peak in the mutation trace is called as a mutation peak when its height (in RFU) is greater
than or equal to the value specified for the Mutation Height in the Mutation Project settings.
(See “Mutation tab” on page 59.) A mutation peak appears in frame with the reference trace.
The peak color indicates the called base for the mutation. (To see the color that is assigned to
a specific base or group of bases in the mutation trace, click the Show Lines button on
the GAD toolbar.)
Horizontal location bars run across the top of the mutation trace. The bar color indicates the
location of the sequence that is being displayed in the trace.
• Yellow—Exon coding region
• Pink—Region of Interest (ROI)
• Light tan—Gene region
• Light blue—Primer region

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• Green—Somatic (Mosaic) mutation

Somatic mutations are marked in the mutation trace only if you have selected the
Check 2D Small Peaks (Mosaic) option for the mutation project settings. See
“Display tab” on page 64.

• Red—Homozygous deletion or duplication. See “Mutation trace peak identification”

below.
• Red with green arrows—Homozygous insertion. See “Mutation trace peak identification”
below.
• Brown—Heterozygous insertion or deletion. See “Mutation trace peak identification”
below.
Figure 3-6: Example of different colored Location bars in a mutation trace

Gene Region Region of Interest Exon coding region

Brown tick marks indicate reported variations in the GenBank file while tick marks of other
colors indicate reported SNPs. Thick blue vertical bars define a comparison region, which is
a region where the sample traces align to the reference traces, and all the mutation project
analysis settings have been met, and therefore, mutations, with the exception of
heterozygous indels, can be called in this region. (See “Mutation trace peak identification”
below.)

If Display Negative SNPs is selected for the mutation project, you can zoom in on
the tick marks in the mutation trace to see the involved bases. See “Display tab”
on page 64.

Figure 3-7: Comparison region in mutation trace

Reported variation in GenBank file

Comparison region

Reported SNP

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Mutation trace peak identification

If all the criteria are met for a substitution mutation event, the values for mutation score,
peak height, overlapping factor, and dropping factor are displayed on the peak.
Figure 3-8: Substitution mutation event

The mobility line is the horizontal line that runs through the center of the mutation trace. This
line indicates the mobility of the sample trace relative to the reference trace—that is, by how
much was the sample trace shifted so that the center of the peaks in the sample trace align to
the center of the peaks in the reference trace. Typically, this line is green; however, the line
changes color if an indel event is detected in the sample trace. If a homozygous deletion,
duplication, or insertion event is detected in the sample trace, then the line is red. A positive
peak in the mobility line spans a homozygous deletion event. A negative peak in the mobility
line spans a homozygous duplication or insertion event.
Figure 3-9: Homozygous deletion event

Positive peak in mobility line

Figure 3-10: Homozygous duplication event

Negative peak in mobility line

Figure 3-11: Homozygous insertion event

Negative peak in mobility line

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If a heterozygous insertion or deletion event is detected in the sample trace, then the line is
brown and a blue vertical line indicates that automatic mutation detection is not possible past
the point of the event.
Figure 3-12: Heterozygous mutation event

Mutation table
The Mutation table is the last component in the GAD. The Mutation table displays all the
mutation data for the currently opened trace. See “Modifying the Default Mutation Surveyor
Project Settings” on page 52.

For a detailed explanation about the code in the Mutation field, see “Mutation
Report” on page 127.

Figure 3-13: Mutation table

The color-coding for a substitution mutation event indicates a variety of information about
the mutation.
• Text color—Blue text indicates that the mutation is called with high confidence. Red text
indicates that the mutation is called with low confidence. (See “Mutation Threshold” on
page 64.) Black text indicates that the mutation has been manually confirmed. (See
“Confirm” on page 133.)
• Purple background with green text—A reported variation that was not found in the
mutation project (Negative SNP).
• Pink background—A novel variant that results in a change to the amino acid sequence.
• Purple background—A reported variant that might or might not result in a change to the
amino acid sequence.
• Blue background—A novel variant on the forward strand that does not result in a change
to the amino acid sequence.
• Tan background—A novel variant on the reverse strand that does not result in a change
to the amino acid sequence.
• No background color—A novel variant that is found in both directions that does not result

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in a change to the amino acid sequence.

To view a mutation event in the mutation trace in the GAD, double-click the mutation in the
table. If the mutation is a heterozygous indel, the Het-Indel tool also opens. See “To add or
edit a heterozygous indel (The Het-Indel tool)” on page 331.

GAD Toolbar

Button Description
Open Files—Opens the Open Files dialog box which you use to load GenBank files,
references files and sample files for a project.

Save Project—Saves all the project files to a single file mutation project file with an .sgp
extension. You can open an entire project in a single step by opening this SGP file.

Raw Data to Processed Data—Enabled when AB1/ABI files without base call
information are uploaded and Load Raw Data is selected for the Mutation Project
settings. Converts the raw files so that base call information is displayed.
Run—Runs the currently loaded project in Mutation Surveyor.

Restart—Opens the Options dialog box which you use to modify the current project
settings. You can then run the project again using these new settings.

Show/Hide Browser—Shows/hides the Browser pane in the Mutation Surveyor main

window. Also available on the Display menu (Display > Browser).

Show/Hide Nucleotides—Shows/hides the Nucleotide Sequence frame in the GAD.

Also available on the Display menu (Display > Nucleotides).

• Show/Hide Amino Acids—Shows/hides the Amino Acid frame in the GAD. Also
available on the Display menu (Display > Amino Acids).
• Show/Hide Tracks—Shows/hides the Tracks frame in the GAD. Also available on
the Display menu (Display > Tracks).
Show/Hide Mutation table—Shows/hides the Mutation table in the GAD. Also available
on the Display menu (Display > Peak table).

Show Lines—Provides options for:

• Show All—Shows all nucleotides in the sample traces and mutation traces.
• Hide All—Hides all nucleotides in the sample traces and mutation traces.
• Showing/hiding selected nucleotides in the sample traces and mutation traces.
• Show/Hide Grid—Hides the background grid in all sample traces and mutation
traces.
• Line Weight—Adjusts the weight of traces from 1 to 4 times.
Note: If you select Hide Grid, you can still select Show All.

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Button Description
Zoom In—Zooms in on the center of the GAD.

Zoom Out—Zooms out from the center of the GAD.

Note: The GAD “remembers” all the Show/Hide settings that you last specified. Even if you close,
and then reopen Mutation Surveyor, the Show/Hide settings remain the same for any
project that you open.
Select Reference File—Opens the Select Reference file dialog box in which you can
select a different reference file to which to align samples traces in a contig.

Custom Report—Opens the Custom Report Settings dialog box which you use to
specify the settings for a custom report. See “Custom Report” on page 164.

Graphic Display—Opens the Graphic Display Report settings dialog box in which you
specify the settings for generating a Graphic Display report. See “Graphic Display
Report” on page 108.
GAD report—Prints the currently opened GAD in a report format. See “GAD Report” on
page 114.

Clinical Report—Generates a Clinical report. See “Clinical Report” on page 116.

Display Mutations with 1D/2D Settings—Toggles the GAD between the 1D and 2D
views.
Note: With 1D setting selected, more low confidence mutation calls might be included
in reports.

Detect Heterozygous Indels—Opens the Heterozygous Indel Detection window. See

“To add or edit a heterozygous indel (The Het-Indel tool)” on page 331.

Nucleotide Text Display Report—Generates a Nucleotide Text Display report. See

“Nucleotide Text Display Report” on page 120.

Save Base-Modified Samples—Opens the Browser for Folder dialog box in which you
can specify the directory in which to save modified traces. This button appears only
after you edit a base call in a sample file or reference file. See “Edit Base” on page 93.

Re-process Modified Files—Displayed only after you edit a base call in a sample file or
reference file. Reprocesses the mutation project based on the modified files. See “Edit
Base” on page 93.
Export GAD—Exports selected GAD regions to a Word document, to JPG files, or
directly to a printer. See “Exporting the GAD” on page 94.

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Button Description
Quantify—Opens the Mutation Quantification function. See “Mutation Quantifier
Function” on page 303.

Search the GenBank Sequence—Opens the Search dialog box. You use the options
on this dialog box to search for a specific sequence in the loaded GenBank file for a
project. See “Search GenBank sequence” below.

Variation Tracks Settings icon - Opens the Variation Tracks Settings dialog box. The
Variation Tracks Settings dialog box displays the available tracks settings for the
Mutation table based on the variation databases that were imported for the project. See
“Variation Tracks Settings dialog box” on page 87.
Note: After being imported into Mutation Surveyor, a variation database is referred to
as a track.

Search GenBank sequence

You use the Search function to search for a specific sequence or position in the GenBank file
for the displayed project.
1. On the GAD toolbar, click the Search the GenBank Sequence icon .
The Search dialog box opens.
Figure 3-14: Search dialog box

2. In the Find field, enter the appropriate search string.

3. Under Options, indicate whether to search by sequence (the default value), or by
position.
4. Optionally, if you select Search by Sequence, then to search by a reverse complement
sequence, click Reverse Complement.
5. Click Previous or Next to search through the GenBank sequence in the Nucleotide
Sequence frame.
Matching sequences or positions are highlighted in yellow.

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Variation Tracks Settings dialog box

The Variation Tracks Settings dialog box contains the tracks settings for the Mutation table
based on the variation databases that were imported for the project. (After being imported
into Mutation Surveyor, a variation database is referred to as a track. See the Reference and
Track Manager Tool User’s Manual. You can select what information to display for the tracks in
the Annotation field, and you can filter the data that is displayed in the Mutation table based
on the tracks, or you can choose not to filter the data based on any of the tracks.
1. On the GAD toolbar, click the Variation Tracks Settings icon .
The Variation Tracks Settings dialog box opens. The Tracks pane is the left pane of the
dialog box. The pane displays all the variation databases, or tracks, that were imported
for the selected project.
Figure 3-15: Variation Tracks Settings dialog box, Filter Settings pane

2. If you do not want to filter the data for the project based on any of the tracks, then click
Load Settings > Clear all track filters, and then click OK; otherwise, go to Step 3.
3. In the Tracks pane, select a track, and then do the following:
a. Indicate the types of variants that are to be included in the Mutation report.
• All - By default, all variants that meet all the filtering criteria are displayed in
the Mutation report, whether they are included in the selected track.
• Reported - Select Reported to display only those variants that meet all the
filtering criteria and that are included in the selected track.
• Unreported - Select Unreported to display only those variants that are not
included in the selected track.

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b. Specify the filter settings for the track.

The available settings vary for each track.

• Click Report Display to open the Report Display Settings dialog box.
The Report Display Settings pane displays all the columns that can be included in
the Annotation field of the Mutation table. By default, no columns are selected.
Figure 3-16: Mutation Tracks Settings dialog box, Report Display Settings pane

4. Select the columns that are to be included in the Annotation field of Mutation table, and
then optionally, select one or both of the following:
• Display track group—Displays the track group in the Annotation field, for example,
ClinVar for the ClinVar database.
• Display track name—Displays the track name in the Annotation field. (This is the
name that you assigned to the track during its import with the Track Manager tool.
See the Reference and Track Manager Tool User’s Manual.
5. Click OK to close the Report Display Settings dialog box.
6. Repeat Step 3 through Step 5 for each track that is to be used to filter the Mutation table.
7. Do one of the following to save your settings and close the Variation Tracks Settings
dialog box:
• Click OK.
Going forward, the Mutation table is generated according to these saved settings
until you change them.

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• Save Settings > Save User Defaults, and then click OK.
The settings that you have specified for all the tracks are saved as your (the logged in
user’s) default settings. Going forward, any new project that you run in Mutation
Surveyor uses these settings by default. If you change the settings for a project, and
want to generate the Mutation table display based on your default settings, then you
can click Load Settings > Load User Defaults to restore your default settings.
• Save Settings > Save To File, and then click OK.
The settings that you have specified for all the tracks are saved to a Settings (.ini)
file. Going forward, you can click Load Settings > Load From File to load this saved
Settings file and generate the Mutation table display according to the settings in the
file.

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Graphical Analysis Display Navigation and

Analysis Options
You can easily change the view in the GAD or navigate the GAD viewer using some of the
toolbar icons (see “GAD Toolbar” on page 84) or your mouse and some keyboard hotkeys.
Options are also available for analyzing mutation project data so that you identify the true
mutations in a mutation project. Miscellaneous options are also available for manipulating
the mutation project data so that you can work with the data in outside programs if needed.

GAD viewing and navigation options

Action Description
Zoom in Click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the upper left
hand corner of the pane towards the lower right hand corner. A box is
formed around the area that being reduced for viewing.
Zoom out Click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the lower right
hand corner of the pane towards the upper left hand corner.
Note: The magnification for zooming out is always 100%.
Moving an image in the To move any image (frame or trace) in the GAD, right-click and hold the
GAD mouse button on the image, and then move the mouse.
Note: The frames and traces are linked in the GAD. If you zoom in on a region in one of the
frames or traces or zoom out from a region in one of the frames or traces, then this action is
automatically duplicated in the same region in all the other frames and traces. If you move a
frame or a trace, then all other frames and traces are moved to the same position as well.
Moving to a mutation Press and hold the [Ctrl] key and then press:
peak • F to move forward to the next mutation peak.
• B to move back to the previous mutation peak.
Note: You move to each mutation peak on a trace by trace basis. For
example, if Sample Trace #1 has five mutation peaks, Sample
Trace #2 has no mutation peaks, and Sample Trace #3 has one
mutation peak, you must press CTRL+F five times to move to
each mutation peak in the Sample Trace #1. When you press
CTRL+F the 6th time, you move to the mutation peak in Sample
Trace #3.
Moving to a trace Use the Browse function on the right side of the Traces component in
the GAD to move to the next or previous trace.

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GAD analysis options

Analysis options are available from the context menu for the Mutation table and from
various context menus in the GAD. Any edit action (addition, substitution, or deletion) that
you carry out for a mutation is displayed in the Actions column for the mutation in the
Mutation table.

Action Description
Mutation table context menu analysis options
Edit Comments You can manually add or edit comments for a mutation call.
• Right-click the entry for the mutation call on the Mutation table, and on
the context menu that opens, click Edit Comments. You can add original
comments in the Comments field, or you can select from a list of up to
200 customizable Comment templates.
• Right-click the entry for the mutation call on the Mutation table, and on
the context menu that opens, click Edit. The Edit Substitution dialog box
or the Edit Indel dialog box opens. Add comments in the Comments
field in this dialog box.
Note: For detailed information about editing a mutation call, see Chapter
12, “Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects,” on page 327.
Edit Right-click the entry for the mutation in the Mutation table, and on the
context menu that opens, click Edit. The Edit Substitution dialog box or the
Edit Indel dialog box opens. Edit the mutation call as appropriate.
Note: For detailed information about editing a mutation call, see Chapter
12, “Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects,” on page 327.
Delete Mutation • Right-click the entry for the mutation in the Mutation table, and on the
context menu that opens, click Delete Mutation.
• Click the entry for the mutation in the Mutation table, and then click
[Ctrl]-D.
• Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then right-click the mutation peak in
the trace to open a Warning message about deleting the mutation call.
Click OK in the message to delete the mutation call.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in the Mutation table. The
comment <<Deleted>> is displayed in the Actions field in the Mutation
table.
Delete Mutation and This action is available only when project meets all requirements for
Add to Database UKDB. Either click OK to delete the mutation without adding it to the User
Knowledge database, or if the GenBank file that was used for the project
contains chromosome information, then you can add the mutation to the
User Knowledge database. (See “Creating a User Knowledge Database
for Known Deletions” on page 342.)
Undo Mutation • Right-click the entry for the deleted mutation in the Mutation table, and
Deletion on the context menu that opens, click Undo Mutation Deletion.
• Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then right-click the deleted mutation in
the trace to open a Warning message about undoing the deletion of the
mutation call. Click OK in the message to undo the deletion of the
mutation call

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Action Description
Delete Lane Make sure that the appropriate trace is open in the GAD, and then
right-click any entry in the Mutation table and on the context menu that
opens, click Delete Lane.
Note: The Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality” in the
GAD. All the mutations for the deleted lane are removed from the
Mutation table.
Note: The context menu for a contig in the Browser pane also has a
Delete Lane option. See “Contig directory for a Mutation Surveyor
project” on page 72.
Undo Lane Deletion Make sure that the appropriate trace is open in the GAD, and then
right-click on the trace's title and on the context menu that opens, and click
Undo Lane Deletion.
Note: The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value. All the
mutations that were deleted for the lane are again displayed in the
Mutation table.
Note: The context menu for a contig in the Browser pane also has a
UnDo Lane Deletion option. See “Contig directory for a Mutation
Surveyor project” on page 72.
Confirm/Undo Right-click the entry for the mutation in the in the Mutation table, and on
Confirmation the context menu that opens, click the appropriate option.
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.
Hyperlink to NCBI’s Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
dbSNP
GAD context menu analysis options
Delete Lane Make sure that the appropriate trace is open in the GAD, and then
right-click the Sample Trace name, and on the context menu that opens,
click Delete Lane.
Note: The Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality” in the
GAD. All the mutations for the deleted lane are removed from the
Mutation table.
Note: The context menu for a contig in the Browser pane also has a
Delete Lane option. See “Contig directory for a Mutation Surveyor
project” on page 72.
Undo Lane Deletion Make sure that the appropriate trace is open in the GAD, and then
right-click the Sample Trace name, and on the context menu that opens,
click Undo Lane Deletion.
Note: The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value. All the
mutations that were deleted for the lane are again displayed in the
Mutation table.
Note: The context menu for a contig in the Browser pane also has a
Undo Lane Deletion option. See “Contig directory for a Mutation
Surveyor project” on page 72.

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Action Description
Add Substitution Call Right-click in the mutation trace at the position at which you want to add
the substitution, and on the context menu that opens, click Add
Substitution. The Add Substitution dialog box opens. Add the substitution
as appropriate.
Note: For detailed information about modifying a mutation call, see
Chapter 12, “Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects,” on page
327.
Note: If you click a peak for a substitution mutation event, a message
opens indicating that substitution already exists at the selected
position and asking you if you want to replace it. Click OK to
continue with the substitution.
Add Insertion/ Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then click the mobility line at the position
Deletion Call of the indel. The Add Indel dialog box opens. Add the Indel call as
appropriate.
Note: For detailed information about modifying a mutation call, see
Chapter 12, “Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects,” on page
327.
Edit Base • Right-click a reference or sample trace and click Edit Base. A dialog
box opens that displays the complete base sequence for the trace.
• Click the base that you are editing and enter the text for the new base
(A,C, G, or T.)
• Click the Close button (“X”) to close the dialog box, and then click “Yes”
at the prompt to save the base call changes.
Note: If you do not want to override the original traces, you can save the
modified traces to a different location. See Save Base-Modified
Samples on page 85.

• Click the Re-process Modified Files button to run the project with
the modified sample and/or reference traces.
Copy Sequence Right-click a reference or sample trace and click Copy Sequence. The
base calls for the portion of the trace that is in view will be copied to the
clipboard.

Miscellaneous GAD options

Action Description
Copy Image Press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold
the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image
that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click
and select Copy to copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image
into an application.
Copy Text Right-click a table cell in the Mutation table and click Copy to copy the
text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a range of cells, click
and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the region
that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied text into an application.

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Exporting the GAD

You use the Export GAD function to export mutation traces and other information for
selected mutations to a Word document, to separate JPG files, or directly to a printer.

A variety of graphic-based reports that present part or all the GAD in a report
format are also available in Mutation Surveyor. See Chapter 4, “Mutation
Surveyor Graphical Reports,” on page 97.

Figure 3-17: Export GAD dialog box

Option Description
Settings
Output the Current Exports the GAD for only those mutations (+-16 bp) that are currently
Mutation Only displayed in the GAD for the selected sample file.
Output the Mutations in Exports the GADs for all the mutations in all the sample files for every
the Samples contig.
Output Points of Interest Exports the GAD only for the specified base positions. (The Base
position must be the contig position where at least one sample contains
a mutation call at the point of interest.)
• If Output the Mutations in the Samples is also selected, then images
are captured for not only all mutation calls, but also for positive and
negative mutations at all Points of Interest.
• If Output the Mutations in the Samples is not selected, then images
are captured for only positive and negative mutations at all Points of
Interest.

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Option Description
Output Header Automatically populated with the default Mutation Surveyor header
Information
information file. You can click the Browse button to open the Open
File dialog box, and browse to and select a custom header to add to the
report.
Note: A header is a .inf file. For a discussion of Custom headers and
how to create one, see “Print Header Editor Tool” on page 267.
Save the Word File As Available only if Save the Report as a Word file is the selected action.
Automatically populated with the default location (c:\data) and filename
for the Word file to which the mutations traces for the selected mutations
are being exported. You can click the Browse button to open the
Save As dialog box, and specify a different location, name, or both for
the Word files.
Note: This function works only when Microsoft Word is installed on the
client computer. If the client’s copy of Word has additional
add-ons, such as End Note, installed, this function might not
work properly.
Save separate JPG files Available only if Saving Report as Separate JPG Files is the selected
into action. Automatically populated with the default location (c:\data) to
which the mutation traces for the selected mutations are being exported.
You can click the Browse button to open the Browse for Folder
dialog box, and specify a different location for the JPG files.
Action
• Save the Report as a • Exports all the mutation traces to a single Word file.
Word File
• Send the Report • Exports the files to directly to the system’s default printer
Directly to the Printer
• Save the Report as • Export each mutation trace as a separate JPG file
Separate JPG Files
Nomenclature
• Genomic • Displays the mutation call positions based on the genomic position
referenced in the GenBank file.
• Relative to CDS • Displays the mutation call positions relative to the CDS numbering in
the GenBank reference file. A mutation that is called in the CDS is
prefixed with a “c.” A mutation that is called in a non-coding region is
prefixed with “IVS.” Its position is identified by the closest nucleotide
in the coding sequence plus or minus the number of bps by which it
resides away from the closest nucleotide
• Relative to mRNA • Displays the mutation call positions relative to the mRNA numbering
in the GenBank reference file. A mutation that is called in the mRNA
region is prefixed with a “c.” A mutation that is called outside of an
mRNA region is identified by the closest nucleotide in the mRNA
region plus or minus the number of bps by which it resides away from
the closest nucleotide.

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Option Description
Nomenclature (cont’d)
• HGVS • Displays the mutation call positions relative to its position in the
coding sequence. A mutation that is called in a non-coding region is
identified by the closest nucleotide in the coding sequence plus or
minus the number of bps by which it resides away from the closest
nucleotide. Both alleles are shown in separate bracketed statements
Note: For any of the four standard Nomenclature options, if a GenBank file was not loaded as the
reference file, then the Base Number is enclosed in parenthesis and it indicates the position
of the base in the reference file. If both a GenBank file and a reference file were loaded for
the mutation project and the mutation was called at a position that does not align to the
GenBank file, then the Base Number is enclosed in parenthesis and is displayed as +/- the
number of base pairs by which the mutation was shifted in comparison to the GenBank file.

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Reports
A variety of graphic-based reports that provide detailed information about a mutation project
are available in Mutation Surveyor. All these reports, which are available from the Display
option on the Mutation Surveyor main menu, present part or all the GAD in a report format.
All these reports rely heavily on the use of colored legends to indicate critical information
about the mutation project data. You can print the information in many of these reports and
you can save and store the report information for use at a later date.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Project Reviewer Report” on page 99.
• “Graphic Display Report” on page 108.
• “GAD Report” on page 114.
• “Clinical Report” on page 116.
• “Nucleotide Text Display Report” on page 120.

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Project Reviewer Report

You use the Project Reviewer report to view mutation project data for one contig at a time, or
for all contigs at the same time. The data that you can view includes the reference nucleotide
sequence, the consensus sequence for all the sample traces, the sequence for each sample
trace, and all the mutation calls for all the samples. You can use the Project Reviewer
functions to customize the viewing of this information for your sample files. For example,
you can use the Sample Grouping function to group all your sample files by an identifier and
view any overlapping contigs that result. You can also use the Project Reviewer to edit
mutation calls.
Figure 4-1: Project Reviewer report

Sample pane Mutation Table pane Base pane Trace pane

Project Reviewer report layout

To view the color coding legends that are used in the report, click Legend at the top of the
report. The report displays mutation project data according to these legends in four panes.
• Sample pane—The Sample pane is the top left pane. This pane lists all the sample files
that are contained in the currently selected contig.
• Base pane—The Base pane is the top center pane. The top row of numbers indicates the
genomic base position in the GenBank file. The color of the horizontal location bars that
run below the genomic position numbers indicates the location of the sequence that is
being displayed in the trace. Colored tick marks indicate reported variations. The first row
of nucleotides in the pane is the GenBank nucleotide sequence. The second row of

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nucleotides in the pane is the consensus sequence for the sample traces. The remaining
rows show the sequence for each sample trace. A black dash (-) indicates a match between
the reference file and the sample file. If a different base is at the same position in the
sample file and reference file, then the standard IUB/IUPAC code for the base is shown
in the sample file at the position. Color-coding is used to indicate the mutation type. No
information is displayed for areas that fall outside the comparison region. A gray square
indicates a mutation that has been deleted either by Mutation Surveyor or by a user.
• Trace pane—The Trace pane is the top right pane. This pane displays the sample traces,
the mutation traces, or both for all the selected samples in the sample and base panes. Blue
highlighted bases indicate positions of called mutations.
• Mutation Table pane—The Mutation Table pane is the lower pane. This pane displays all
the mutation calls for all the samples in the selected contig. The mutation call codes and
color-coding that are used in this table are identical to the mutation call codes and color-
coding that are used in the Mutation standard report. See “Mutation Report” on page 127.
The report is interactive:
• To zoom in on a selected region for the sample files, in the Base pane, click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box from the upper left hand corner of the region towards
the lower right hand corner of the region. A box is formed around the area that is being
reduced for viewing.
• To zoom in on a selected region for a trace, in the Trace pane, click and hold the left
mouse button and draw a box from the upper left hand corner of the region towards the
lower right hand corner of the region. A box is formed around the area that is being
reduced for viewing.
• To zoom out from the sample files or trace, click and hold the left mouse button and draw
a box from the lower right hand corner of the file sequence or trace towards the upper left
hand corner of the sequence or trace. The magnification for zooming out is always 100%.

By default, the Base pane and Trace pane are linked in the Project Reviewer. If you
zoom in on a region in one of the panes or zoom out from a region in one of the
panes, then this zooming action is automatically duplicated in the same region in
the other pane. You can turn off this automatic linking. See “Project Reviewer
report toolbar” on page 102.

• To change the view in the reviewer to a selected mutation, double-click the mutation in
the Mutation Table pane.
• To change the view to that for a different contig, select the contig on the Contig dropdown
list.

If you select All, then any overlap among the contigs is displayed in the Base pane
and in the Trace pane

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Figure 4-2: Overlapping contigs displayed in the Base pane

• To manipulate and analyze mutation project data, right-click a mutation call in the
Mutation Table pane and on the context menu that opens, click the appropriate option.
Figure 4-3: Mutation Table pane context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a range of
cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the
region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied text into an application.
Note: You can also copy the Project Reviewer report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key, and then click and hold the left
mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that you
want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and
select Copy to copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image
into an application.

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Option Description
Edit Opens the Edit Substitution or Edit Indel dialog box in which you can edit the
selected mutation call.
Note: For detailed information about modifying a mutation call, see Chapter
12, “Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects,” on page 327.
Delete Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the Project Reviewer report
and the Mutation Table pane.
Undo Deletion Reverses the deletion of the selected mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations.
Delete Mutation Deletes the selected mutation and adds it to the database.
and Add to
Database
Delete Lane Note: Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous samples.
Undo Deletion Reverses the deletion of the selected lane.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous samples.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations. The text for the mutation code turns black in
both the Project Reviewer report and the Mutation Table pane.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations.
Undo Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Confirmation Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations.
Hyperlink to Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
NCBI’s dbSNP

Project Reviewer report toolbar

The Project Reviewer report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for navigating and
working with the Project Reviewer report. The buttons that are displayed on the toolbar
depend on whether a single contig is selected or all contigs are selected.
Figure 4-4: Project Reviewer report toolbar for a selected contig

Figure 4-5: Project Reviewer report toolbar for all contigs

Button Description
Show Sample Trace—Selected by default. Shows the sample traces in the Trace
pane.

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Button Description
Show Mutation Trace—Selected by default. Shows the mutation traces in the Trace
pane.

Link—Selected by default. Links the Base pane and the Trace pane. If you zoom in
on a region in one of the panes or zoom out from a region in one of the panes, then
this zooming action is automatically duplicated in the same region in the other pane.
You can turn off this automatic linking.
Sample Grouping—Opens the Sample Grouping dialog box in which you can
specify how sample traces are to be grouped in the report.
Figure 4-6: Sample Grouping dialog box

• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—Select this option if all the filenames in your
project contain the same character string/designator in the same positions.
• From File—Select this option if traces that are to be grouped together contain a
common Sample ID in their filenames. (The Sample IDs do not need to be in the
same location in the filename.) After you click From File, click Load Sample ID to
open the Load Sample ID dialog box and specify the different Sample IDs, such
as Patient #, by which to group the traces. You can also click Open in the Load
Sample ID dialog box to load an existing Sample ID text file.
Note: By default, the Load Sample ID dialog box contains rows for up to ten
different Sample IDs. You can right-click and click Insert or Delete as
needed.
Move Left/Move Right—Moves the display in the Base pane and Trace pane in the
indicated direction.

Report Settings—Opens the Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box, in which
you can specify what information is to be displayed in the report, what color-coding
is to be used in the report, and what nomenclature is to be used in the report. See
“Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box” on page 104.
Saves current view as a JPG file.

Show/Hide Sample—Shows/hides the Sample pane.

Show/Hide Annotation—Shows/hides the gene/CDS annotation in the Base pane

and the Trace pane.

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Button Description
Show/Hide Base—Shows/hides the Base pane.

Show/Hide Trace—Shows/hides the Trace pane.

Show/Hide Mutation Table—Shows/hides the Mutation Table pane.

Add GenBank File—Available only if All contigs are selected. If you used SEQ files
as reference files, click the this button to open the Add GenBank file dialog box and
select a GenBank to add to the project. The Project Reviewer then aligns the SEQ
files to the GenBank and as a result, the SEQ files are displayed in genomic order.

Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box

The Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box contains four tabs—Mutation, Color,
Nomenclature, and Display—on which you can specify what information is to be displayed
in the report, what color-coding is to be used in the report, what nomenclature is to be used in
the report, and how many traces to view together, respectively.
Figure 4-7: Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box, Mutation tab

Mutation tab

The majority of options on this tab are self-explanatory, and therefore, not all
these options are discussed in this section.

• Nucleotide Position—Nucleotide positions are displayed in the nomenclature that you

select on the Nomenclature tab. (See “Nomenclature tab” on page 106.)
• Amino Acid Position—By default, amino acid information is organized with the
reference amino acid displayed first, the amino acid position displayed next, and the
mutation amino acid displayed last. If you do not select Amino Acid Position, then a slash
(/) is displayed between the reference amino acid and the mutation amino acids.

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• Confidence(!)—Displays a Confidence mark (!) for mutation calls that exceed certain
thresholds as defined in the MutationSurveyor.ini file.

Although you can modify these thresholds, SoftGenetics does not recommend that
you do so on your own. Contact SoftGenetics for assistance.

• Comments—Displays all comments that were added to a mutation call, either

automatically by Mutation Surveyor or manually by a user.
Color tab
Figure 4-8: Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box, Color tab

The Color tab provides a variety of color-coding options to assist you with identifying
different types of mutation calls and potential analysis problems. Color-coding is applied
according to the following:
• If a mutation call meets several color-coding criteria, the call is displayed in the report in
the color of highest priority.
• If None is selected for a color-coding option, then the color of the next highest priority is
used.
• For Mutation Region Text color-coding, the priorities from highest to lowest are as
follows—Deleted, Confirmed, Added, Edited, High Confidence, Low Confidence,
Normal Alleles, and Not Available.
• For Mutation Region Background color coding, priorities from highest to lowest are as
follows—Mosaic, Reported, A.A. Change, Indel, Synonymous, Heterozygous,
Homozygous, and Not Available, where Synonymous identifies the coding and
non-coding substitutions that do not affect the amino acid sequence.

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Nomenclature tab
Figure 4-9: Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box, Nomenclature tab

If you select Nucleotide positions on the Mutation tab, then the positions are displayed in the
nomenclature that you select on the Nomenclature tab.

Option Description
Genomic Displays the mutation call positions based on the genomic position
referenced in the GenBank file.
Relative to CDS Displays the mutation call positions relative to the CDS numbering in the
GenBank reference file. A mutation that is called in the CDS is prefixed
with a “c.” A mutation that is called in a non-coding region is prefixed
with “IVS.” Its position is identified by the closest nucleotide in the
coding sequence plus or minus the number of bps by which it resides
away from the closest nucleotide.
Relative to mRNA Displays the mutation call positions relative to the mRNA numbering in
the GenBank reference file. A mutation that is called in the mRNA
region is prefixed with a “c.” A mutation that is called outside of an
mRNA region is identified by the closest nucleotide in the mRNA region
plus or minus the number of bps by which it resides away from the
closest nucleotide.
HGVS Displays the mutation call positions relative to its position in the coding
sequence. A mutation that is called in a non-coding region is identified
by the closest nucleotide in the coding sequence plus or minus the
number of bps by which it resides away from the closest nucleotide.
Both alleles are shown in separate bracketed statements.
Forensic (SWGDAM) Displays the mutation call using SWGDAM Guidelines.
Note: If any of the five standard Nomenclature options is selected and a GenBank file was not
loaded as the reference file, then the Base Number is enclosed in parenthesis and it
indicates the position of the base in the reference file. If both a GenBank file and a
reference file were loaded for the mutation project and the mutation was called at a position
that does not align to the GenBank file, then the Base Number is enclosed in parenthesis
and is displayed as +/- the number of base pairs by which the mutation was shifted in
comparison to the GenBank file.

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Figure 4-10: Nomenclature Examples

Display tab
Select the number of traces to display in the Trace Pane. Default is 4. A maximum of 8 can
be selected.
Figure 4-11: Project Reviewer Report Settings dialog box, Display tab

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Graphic Display Report

You use the Graphic Display report to examine sample alignment and mutation calls for a
single contig. The Graphic Display report is available from the Display option on the
Mutation Surveyor main menu or you can click the Graphic Display icon on the GAD.
After you select either option, the Graphic Display Report Settings dialog box opens. You
specify the options in this dialog box, and then click OK to generate the report. (See Figure
4-13 on page 109.)
Figure 4-12: Graphic Display Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction has No falls within the comparison region of the other direction.
Call
Reject 1D Calls When Reject mutation calls that occur outside the region where the sample
Other Direction is Not traces in both directions are aligned within the comparison region.
Available
Reject Synonymous Coding region substitutions that do not affect amino acid calls are not
Mutations displayed in the report.
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only
Display Confirmed Display only those mutations that you have manually confirmed in the
Mutations Only report.

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Figure 4-13: Graphic Display report

Graphic Display report layout

The top row of the Graphic Display report details the color coding legends that are used in
the report. The report displays mutation project data below these legends in four panes. From
top to bottom, these panes are as follows:
• GenBank pane—The GenBank pane displays information about the loaded GenBank file.
Contig positions are indicated in kilobases (kb). The color of the horizontal location bars
that run below the contig position numbers indicates the location of the sequence that is
being displayed in the trace. Colored tick marks indicate reported variations.
• Reference pane—The Reference pane displays information about the reference trace that
was used for the selected contig. The trace can be a reference file that you manually added
to the project, or it can be a synthetic reference file that Mutation Surveyor created from
the loaded GenBank file.
• Sample pane—The Sample pane displays all the sample files that are contained within the
selected contig. Tick marks represent called mutations. Color-coding is used to indicate
the mutation type.
• Allele Frequency pane—The Allele Frequency pane shows the percentage of samples in
the contig that have the mutation call at the indicated position.
• Mutation Score pane—The Mutation Score pane shows the average mutation score for all
the calls at the indicated position for the contig.

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The report is interactive:

• To zoom in on a selected region, in any pane, click and hold the left mouse button and
draw a box from the upper left hand corner of the region towards the lower right hand
corner of the region. A box is formed around the area that is being reduced for viewing.
• To zoom out from any region, click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from
the lower right hand corner of the region towards the upper left hand corner of the region.
The magnification for zooming out is always 100%.

All the panes in the Graphic Display are linked. If you zoom in on a region in any
pane, or zoom out from a region in any pane, then this zooming action is
automatically duplicated in the same regions in all the other panes.

• To change the view to that for a different contig, select the contig on the Contig dropdown
list.
• By default, the filenames for all the files (GenBank, reference files, and sample files) are
displayed on the report. To remove the filenames from the report display, clear the Show
Filenames option.

Graphic Display report toolbar

The Graphic Display report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for navigating and
working with the Graphic Display report.
Figure 4-14: Graphic Display report toolbar

Button Description
Print Preview—Opens the Graphic Display Print Preview window, which
displays a preview of what is to be printed for the report.
Note: Before you print the Graphic Display report, make sure to adjust
the zoom level so that the area of the report that you want to
print is displayed in the report window.
Report Settings—Opens the Graphic Display Report Settings dialog
box, in which you can specify what information is to be displayed in the
report. See Figure 4-12 on page 108.

Project Display Report—Opens the Project Display Report Settings

dialog box, in which you specify the information that is to be displayed in
the Project Display subreport, as well a how the sample files are to be
grouped in the subreport. See “Project Display subreport” on page 111.
Show Filenames Selected by default. Shows the filenames on the report.

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Project Display subreport

You use the Project Display subreport as another way of graphically viewing mutation
project data. Options are available for filtering mutation calls that are displayed in the report
and for grouping sample files based on the character string/designator that is used in your
sample filenames. This subreport, which has a layout that is almost identical to that of the
Graphic Display report, is ideal for comparing overlapping sample traces that were analyzed
in separate contigs. The subreport opens after you click OK in the Project Display Report
Settings dialog box.
Figure 4-15: Project Display Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Mutation Scores
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction has No falls within the comparison region of the other direction.
Call
Reject 1D Calls When Reject mutation calls that occur outside the region where the sample
Other Direction is Not traces in both directions are aligned within the comparison region.
Available
Reject Synonymous Coding region substitutions that do not affect amino acid calls are not
Mutations displayed in the report.
Note: In cases where the entire column was not omitted from the report because of rejection by
one of these criteria, the rejected mutations have no background color and an “n.a.” is
displayed in the Mutation cell instead of the mutation code.
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only
Display Confirmed Display only those mutations that you have manually confirmed in the
Mutations Only report.

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Option Description
Homozygous Dropping Indicates the value for the dropping factor at which a mutation is
Threshold identified as either a homozygous substitution or a heterozygous
substitution. For example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because
Mutation Surveyor evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise
below a major peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous
substitution. This value assists in your analysis by converting these calls
to homozygous substitutions.
You can increase this value to view the exact call that Mutation Surveyor
made, but an increased value might result in some calls remaining as
heterozygous substitutions.
Sample Grouping
Specify the filename substring by which Mutation Surveyor groups all
the mutation project samples files in the subreport.
• n-Primer (n-D) Text Input—Use the ND Grouping file to group the
sample files. See “ND Filename Match Editor Tool” on page 264.
• Filename Match (based on one of the following):
• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—If all the filenames in your
project contain the same characters/designator in the same
positions, then select this option and enter the starting and ending
character positions.
Note: Typical Block—If all the filenames in your project contain the
same characters/designator but in different positions, then
select this option and enter the value for the character/
designator block.

Figure 4-16: Project Display subreport

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Project Display subreport toolbar

The Project Display subreport toolbar contains options and buttons that are specific for
navigating and working with the subreport.
Figure 4-17: Project Display subreport toolbar

Option/Button Description
Select GenBank File If your mutation project used multiple GenBank files, then select one of
these files from this list to view the file and the sample files that align to
it.
Print Preview—Opens the Preview window, which displays a preview of
what it to be printed for the report.
Note: Before you click the Print Preview button, make sure to adjust
the zoom level so that the area of the report that you want to
print will be displayed in the Preview window.
Project Report—Generates a Project report for the sample files. See
“Project Report” on page 146.

Modify Mutation Projects—See “Modifying Mutation Surveyor Projects”

on page 315.

Show Filenames By default, the filenames for all the files (GenBank, reference files, and
sample files) are displayed on the subreport. To remove the filenames
from the report display, clear the Show Filenames option.
Exact Filename Match Select this option to pair sample files in the report display when the
filenames for the forward and reverse sample files are very similar.
Note: This sorting option is used in conjunction with the sorting
options that you specified on the Project Display Report
Settings dialog box to further group sample files in the report
display.

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GAD Report
The GAD report displays the Graphical Analysis Display (GAD) for the sample files that are
contained in a single contig in a report format. You can specify whether the report is to
display all the traces for all the sample files in the contig, or whether the report is to display
only those traces for the sample files that contained mutation calls (the default setting for the
report). After you click GAD Report on the Display menu, the GAD Report Settings dialog
box opens. You can leave the default option of Print Samples with Mutations Only selected,
or you can clear this option to display all the traces for all the sample files for a selected
contig in the report. After you click OK, the GAD report opens.
Figure 4-18: GAD Report Settings dialog box

Figure 4-19: GAD report

The first two traces that are displayed in the report are the forward and reverse reference
traces used for the selected contig. (The names of the traces are displayed in brown font to
indicate that they are reference traces.) The remaining traces are the traces for the sample
files in the selected contig. The traces are either the traces for all the sample files that are
contained in the selected contig, or they are those traces for display the trace regions for only
those samples in the selected contig that contain mutation calls. To view the traces for a
different contig, select the contig on the Contig dropdown list.

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GAD Report toolbar

The GAD report toolbar contains options and buttons that are specific for navigating and
working with the report.
Figure 4-20: GAD report toolbar

Option/Button Description
Sample Indicates the sample for which the sample traces are currently in view
for the report. You can select a different sample from the list, or you can
use the Scroll feature on the right side of the report window to change
the view.
Zoom In—Zooms in on a region of the report for viewing.
Note: You can also manually zoom in on a region for viewing. Click
and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the upper
left hand corner of the pane towards the lower right hand corner.
A box is formed around the area that being reduced for viewing.
Zoom Out—Zooms out from a region of the report for viewing. The
magnification for zooming out is always 100%.
Note: You can also manually zoom out from a region for viewing. Click
and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the lower
right hand corner of the pane towards the upper left hand
corner.
Move Left—Moves the currently displayed report view to the left.
Note: You can also manually move the report view to the left. Right-
click and hold the mouse button on the report view, and then
move the mouse.
Move Right—Moves the currently displayed report view to the right.
Note: You can also manually move the report view to the left. Right-
click and hold the mouse button on the report view, and then
move the mouse.
Print Preview—Opens the Preview window, which displays a preview of
what it to be printed for the GAD report. You can use the options on the
Preview window’s toolbar to adjust variables such as the color scale and
the page layout before you print the report.
Note: Before you click the Print Preview button, make sure to adjust
the zoom level so that the area of the report that you want to
print will be displayed in the Preview window.
Print Samples with Select this option to display only those traces for the sample files that
Mutations Only contained mutation calls.
Show Mutation Select this option to display the code for each mutation call on the
Information report. The code for each call is displayed directly above the mutation
peak in the sample trace.

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Clinical Report
The Clinical report is a custom-formatted report that contains options for displaying only
those sample files with mutation calls or for displaying all positions with reported annotation
information, including negative SNPs. The report shows one pair of sample files in a contig
per page, and the report includes the mutation code for each called mutation. To generate a
Clinical report, modify any of the settings as needed and click OK. The report opens in the
Print Preview window. You can use the options on the Preview window’s toolbar to adjust
variables such as the color scale and the page layout. See Figure 4-23 on page 119.
The Clinical Report Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 4-21: Clinical Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Print Samples with Show only those samples that contain called mutations.
mutations only
Print Samples with Show those samples that contain negative mutation calls, where a
negative mutations negative SNP is defined as position in the GenBank file at which a
variation has been reported, but no variation was detected at the same
position in the sample trace. Sample traces that have negative SNPs
might still contain mutation calls.
Header File
Click the Browse button to open the Open File dialog box, and
browse to and select a custom header to add to the report.
Note: A header is a .inf file. For a discussion of Custom headers and
how to create one, see “Print Header Editor Tool” on page 267.

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Option Description
Nomenclature • Genomic—Displays the mutation call positions based on the genomic
position referenced in the GenBank file.
• Relative to CDS—Displays the mutation call positions relative to the
CDS numbering in the GenBank reference file. A mutation that is
called in the CDS is prefixed with a “c.” A mutation that is called in a
non-coding region is prefixed with “IVS.” Its position is identified by
the closest nucleotide in the coding sequence plus or minus the
number of bps by which it resides away from the closest nucleotide.
• Relative to mRNA—Displays the mutation call positions relative to
the mRNA numbering in the GenBank reference file. A mutation that
is called in the mRNA region is prefixed with a “c.” A mutation that is
called outside of an mRNA region is identified by the closest
nucleotide in the mRNA region plus or minus the number of bps by
which it resides away from the closest nucleotide.
• HGVS—Displays the mutation call positions relative to its position in
the coding sequence. A mutation that is called in a non-coding region
is identified by the closest nucleotide in the coding sequence plus or
minus the number of bps by which it resides away from the closest
nucleotide. Both alleles are shown in separate bracketed statements.
Trace Display Range <> Total number of bases in range of mutation call, with call centered in this
bp range. The value can be an integer from 1 to 255. The default value is
20.
Mutation Calls per Line Maximum number of mutation calls that would be displayed in a single
row of the report. Options are:
• 1
• 2
• 3 (Default value)
Lines per Page Maximum number of lines of mutation calls that would be displayed on a
single page of the report. If a trace contains more than would fit on a
single page, the report would include additional pages. Options are:
• 1
• 2 (Default value)
Show Reference Option to display the bases of reference trace at the location of the
Electropherogram mutation call. This option is selected by default.
Show Sample Option to display the bases of the sample trace at the location of the
Electropherogram mutation call. This option is selected by default.
Show Mutation Option to display the peaks of the mutation trace at the location of the
Electropherogram mutation call. This option is selected by default.
Show Axes Values Option to display or hide the y-axis labels and gridlines. This option is
unavailable for 3 mutation calls per line. This option is deselected by
default.
Show Date and Title Option to display or hide the current date/time and the first order
grouping type at the top of report's heading section. This option is
deselected by default.
Show Trace File Name Option to display each trace's file name of its image. This option may
not be available for 2 lines per page, depending on electropherograms
to be displayed. This option is deselected by default.

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Option Description
Grouping—Traces are initially grouped based on the 1st Order Grouping option. Further sorting is
then carried out based on the 2nd Order Grouping option, and then on the 3rd Order Grouping
option.
• Contig • The default value for 1st Order. Groups are sorted based on the
Contigs that Mutation Surveyor created for determining mutation
calls.
• Trace • When Trace is selected, the From Character X to Y option is enabled.
Traces are sorted into groups based on character matching in the
specified positions in the trace filenames.
• Grouping File • Traces are sorted into groups based on the grouping method that is
specified in the Load Grouping text file. See “2D Filename Match
Editor tool” on page 261.
• Sample ID • When Sample ID is selected, both the Load Sample ID button and
the From Character X to Y option are enabled. Click Load Sample ID
to open the Load Sample ID dialog box and specify the different
Sample IDs, such as Patient #, by which to group the traces. You can
also click Open to load an existing Sample ID file.
Note: By default, the Load Sample ID dialog box contains rows for up
to ten different Sample IDs. You can right-click and click Insert
or Delete as needed.
Figure 4-22: Load Sample ID dialog box

The traces that are to be grouped together must contain at least one of
these Sample IDs in their filenames but they do not need to be in the
same location in the filename. When grouping by Sample ID, the trace
filenames are first checked based on the Sample IDs defined in the
Load Sample ID dialog box. The values specified in the From Character
X to Y fields are ignored if all the trace filenames contain at least one of
these Sample IDs. Traces that do not contain any of these Sample IDs
in their filenames are sorted into groups based on the values specified
in the From Character X to Y fields. Traces that do not contain any of
these Sample IDs and that do not contain the characters specified in the
From Character X to Y fields are sorted into their own group.
• F/R pairing • The default value for the 2nd Order. Places two-directional traces in
adjacent rows.

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Option Description
• Trace Position • The default value for the 3rd Order. Traces are sorted into groups
based on where they match to the GenBank reference file. Each
trace is matched at its starting genomic base number. Groups can be
sorted so that traces that match to the earliest reference base are
displayed first.
• Gene • Traces are sorted into groups based on the gene names defined in
the GenBank reference file.
• Exon • Traces are sorted into groups based on the exons defined in the
GenBank reference file.
• Trace Quality • Traces are sorted into groups based on the lane quality for the trace.
• None • Ignore the sorting level.
• In One Group • Traces are placed in a single group. Only available for the 1st Order.

Figure 4-23: Clinical report

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Nucleotide Text Display Report

The Nucleotide Text Display report is a color-coded report of the text base calls of all the
sample file sequences for a selected contig. The report has options for displaying every
nucleotide position for every sample trace in a selected contig or for displaying only those
nucleotide positions at which a mutation was called. To generate a Nucleotide Text Display
report, do the following:
1. On the Display menu, click Nucleotide Text Display.
The Nucleotide Text Display Report Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 4-24: Nucleotide Text Display Report Settings dialog box

2. Select the options as appropriate for your report:

Option Description
Original Base Call Display the bases as called in the original sample trace at locations
where variations exist between the sample and the reference.
Consensus Base Call Display the base relative to the mutation call at locations where mutation
calls were identified.
Display Base Call Selected by default. Display every nucleotide position for every sample
trace in a selected contig. If you clear this option, then only the
variations relative to the Original Base Call or the Consensus Base Call
are displayed for the sample trace in the selected contig.

3. Click OK.
The Nucleotide Text Display report opens. See Figure 4-25 on page 121.

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Figure 4-25: Nucleotide Text Display report

Nucleotide Text Display report layout

The top row of the Nucleotide Text Display report details the color coding legends that are
used in the report. The color of the horizontal location bars indicates the location of the
sequence that is being displayed in the trace. Colored tick marks indicate reported variations.
The report displays mutation project data below these legends in three panes. From left to
right these panes are:
• Filenames pane—The first row in the Filenames pane is the name of the reference
nucleotide sequence that was used to align the sample files. The second row in the
Filenames pane is the consensus sequence for the sample traces. The remaining rows in
the pane shows the name for each reference and sample trace contained in the selected
contig.
• Direction pane—The Direction pane shows the trace direction for the reference sequence,
for the consensus sequence, and for each sample trace for the selected contig.
• Nucleotide Text pane—The Nucleotide Text pane shows the textual representation of the
reference sequence, the consensus sequence, and for each sample trace contained in the
selected contig.
The report is interactive:
• To view the nucleotide text display for a different contig, select the contig on the Contig
dropdown list.
• To view the mutation electropherograms for sample files at a given mutation position,
double-click the mutation in the report. The Contig Trace Figure window opens. (See
Figure 4-26 on page 122.) You can use the Scroll function on this window to scroll
through all the sample traces at the selected mutation position. Each mutation call is
highlighted with either a blue or purple vertical line, for novel or reported variants

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respectively.
Figure 4-26: Contig Trace Figure window

• To highlight the information for a sequence in the report, click the sequence in the
Filenames pane.
• To view the Position (Frame #, Nucleotide #, and Row #) for a base, point the cursor on
the base in the Nucleotide Text pane. The Position information is updated on the report
toolbar.

These last two options work best after you have zoomed in on a region in the
Nucleotide Text pane for viewing. See the Zoom In function on the “Nucleotide
Text Display report toolbar.”

Nucleotide Text Display report toolbar

The Nucleotide Text Display report toolbar contains options and buttons that are specific for
navigating and working with the report.
Figure 4-27: Nucleotide Text Display report toolbar

Option/Button Description
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as a tab-delimited text
file.

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Option/Button Description
Print Preview—Opens the Preview window, which displays a preview of
what it to be printed for the Nucleotide Text Display report. You can use
the options on the Preview window’s toolbar to adjust variables such as
the color scale and the page layout before you print the report.
Note: Before you click the Print Preview button, make sure to adjust
the zoom level so that the area of the report that you want to
print will be displayed in the Preview window.
Show/Hide Filenames—Shows/hides the Filenames pane.

Show/Hide Direction—Shows/hides the Direction pane.

Zoom In—Zooms in on a region of the report for viewing.

Note: You can also manually zoom in on a region for viewing. Click
and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the upper
left hand corner of the pane towards the lower right hand corner.
A box is formed around the area that being reduced for viewing.
Zoom Out—Zooms out from a region of the report for viewing. The
magnification for zooming out is always 100%.
Note: You can also manually zoom out from a region for viewing. Click
and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from the lower
right hand corner of the pane towards the upper left hand
corner.
Move Left—Moves the currently displayed report view to the left.
Note: You can also manually move the report view to the left. Right-
click and hold the mouse button on the report view, and then
move the mouse.
Move Right—Moves the currently displayed report view to the right.
Note: You can also manually move the report view to the left. Right-
click and hold the mouse button on the report view, and then
move the mouse.
Report Settings—Opens the Nucleotide Text Display Report Settings
dialog box in which you can specify the information that is to be
displayed in the report. See Figure 4-24 on page 120.

Amino Acid Select this option to display the amino acid sequence for which the
consensus sequence codes. The code is displayed in the top row of the
Nucleotide Text pane as the 1 Letter IUPAC code.
Consensus Sample Displays the consensus sequence for each of the sample pairs. An extra
line marked as “Consensus Sample” is displayed below the sample
pairs in all three of the report panes.

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Reports
A variety of text-based standard reports that provide detailed information about a mutation
project are available in Mutation Surveyor. All these reports, which are available from the
Reports option on the Mutation Surveyor main menu, display mutation project data
according to a predefined format. You can print the report information and you can save and
store the report output for use at a later date.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Mutation Report” on page 127.
• “Two Direction Report” on page 134.
• “Advanced Two Direction Report” on page 140.
• “Project Report” on page 146.
• “HGVS Report” on page 157.

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Mutation Report
Mutation Surveyor aligns the nucleotide sequences of the sample traces to the reference
traces and groups the sample traces into contigs based on their degree of overlap. The
reference traces and sample traces are then compared at a trace by trace level to identify
substitutions, insertions, and deletions. All the variants are aligned in the Mutation report,
which is automatically displayed in the Viewing and Reporting pane after the project is run.
In addition, the Mutation Surveyor toolbar is updated with buttons that are specific for
working with the Mutation report.

You can also open the Mutation report from the Mutation Surveyor main menu
(Reports> Mutation Report), or you can double-click the Mutation Report entry in
the Browser pane.

Mutation Surveyor toolbar

Figure 5-1: Mutation Surveyor toolbar

Button Description
Open Files—Opens the Open Files dialog box which you use to load
GenBank files, references files and sample files for a project.

Save Project—Saves all the project files to a single file mutation project
file with an .sgp extension. You can open an entire project in a single
step by opening this SGP file.
Raw Data to Processed Data—Enabled when AB1/ABI files without
base call information are uploaded and Load Raw Data is selected for
the Mutation Project settings. Converts the raw files so that base call
information is displayed.
Run—Runs the currently loaded project in Mutation Surveyor.

Restart —Opens the Options dialog box which you use to modify the
current project settings. You can then run the project again using these
new settings.
Show/Hide Browser—Shows/hides the Browser pane in the Mutation
Surveyor main window.

Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify the location for saving the Mutation report as a .txt file.

Custom Report—Opens the Custom Report Settings dialog box which

you use to specify the settings for a custom report. See Chapter 6,
“Mutation Surveyor Custom Report,” on page 163.

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Button Description
Graphic Display—Opens the Graphic Display Report settings dialog box
in which you specify the settings for generating a Graphic Display
report. See “Graphic Display Report” on page 108.
Display Mutations with 1D/2D Settings—Toggles the Mutation report
between the 1D and 2D views.

Show Nucleotide Text—Generates a Nucleotide Text Display report.

See “Nucleotide Text Display Report” on page 120..

Quantify—Opens the Mutation Quantification function. See “Mutation

Quantifier Function” on page 303..

Variation Tracks Settings icon - Opens the Variation Tracks Settings

dialog box. The Variation Tracks Settings dialog box displays the
available tracks settings for the Mutation report based on the variation
databases that were imported for the project. See “Variation Tracks
Settings dialog box” on page 87.
Note: After being imported into Mutation Surveyor, a variation
database is referred to as a track.

Mutation report fields

Figure 5-2 shows the default Mutation report in the Viewing and Reporting pane.
Figure 5-2: Mutation report

The table below summarizes the default fields that are displayed in the Mutation report.

Field Description
Sample File A list of all the sample traces in the mutation project, including any unmatched
traces.
Reference File The reference trace to which the sample trace was matched.
Direction The contig number and the direction of the trace (Forward (F) or Reverse (R)).
Gene The gene name as noted in the GenBank reference file.

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Field Description
Exon The exon as noted in the GenBank reference file.
RF The reading frame of the exon.
Start/End The starting and ending bases for the comparison region.
Size The number of bps in the comparison region.
Quality Lane quality for the trace. See “Quality Thresholds” on page 63.
Mut # The number of mutations found in the sample trace.
Mutation Displays the mutation code for the called mutation. See “Mutation report codes.”
Note: If Comments is selected on the Output tab on the Mutation Project
Options dialog box, then Comments are displayed in this field after the
mutation code.

To change the fields that are displayed in the Mutation report, select or clear the appropriate
options for the Output Table Fields on the Output tab on the Mutation Project Options dialog
box. (See “Output tab” on page 62.)

Mutation report codes

The mutation code is the unique code that identifies each mutation in the sample trace. The
code format indicates whether the mutation is a substitution event or whether it is an
insertion/duplication or deletion event.

Substitution mutation code

The mutation code for a substitution event has four components—the base number, the
mutation, the amino acid sequence that is affected by the mutation, and the mutation score.
Figure 5-3: Example of a substitution mutation code
Base Number Amino Acid Sequence

Mutation Mutation Score

• Base Number—If a GenBank file was loaded, the Base Number is the contig position in
the GenBank file. If a GenBank file was not loaded, then the Base Number is enclosed in
parenthesis and it indicates the position of the base in the reference file. If both a GenBank
file and a reference file were loaded for the mutation project and the mutation was called
at a position that does not align to the GenBank file, then the Base Number is enclosed in
parenthesis and is displayed as +/- the number of base pairs by which the mutation was
shifted in comparison to the GenBank file.

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Figure 5-4: Mutation called at a position that does not align to GenBank file

• Mutation—The mutation is written as reference base > variant base, where the reference
base represents the base called at the position in the reference trace and the variant base
represents the base called at the position in the sample trace. The mutation can be
homozygous, such as A > C, or the mutation can be heterozygous, such as A > AC.
• Amino Acid—If the mutation falls within the coding region of the GenBank file, the
amino acid portion of the mutation code shows the codon number, the normal amino acid
that is affected by the mutation, and the resulting amino acid.
• Mutation Score—The mutation score is the 1D score for the mutation. See “Mutation
Score” on page 59.
Figure 5-5: Example of a mutation code for a homozygous mutation

The mutation code indicates that the mutation is on the 293rd base. The base “C” has been substituted
for the base “G.” The mutation score is 34.

Figure 5-6: Example of a mutation code for a heterozygous mutation

The mutation code indicates that the mutation is on 462nd base of the GenBank file. The bases “A” and
“G” have been substituted for the base “G.” The codon number is 75. The normal amino acid is “M” and
the amino acid that is produced as the result of this mutation is a mixture of the normal amino acid and
the mutant amino acid “I.” The mutation score is 67.

Color codes
The color of a substitution mutation code indicates a variety of information about the
mutation.
• Text color—Blue text indicates that the mutation is called with high confidence. Red text
indicates that the mutation is called with low confidence. (See “Mutation Threshold” on
page 64.) Black text indicates that the mutation has been manually confirmed. (See
“Confirm” on page 133.)
• Purple background with green text—A reported variation that was not found in the
mutation project.
• Pink background—The mutation is a novel variant that results in a change to the amino
acid sequence.
• Purple background—The mutation is a reported variant that might or might not result in

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a change to the amino acid sequence.

• No background color—The mutation is a novel variant that is found on either the forward
or reverse trace and that does not result in a change in the amino acid sequence.

Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation codes

Mutation Surveyor monitors the mobility of a sample fragment relative to the reference.
When the sequences no longer align, Mutation Surveyor continues to attempt alignment until
it again occurs. If a homozygous insertion or duplication event is detected, Mutation
Surveyor artificially gaps the reference trace. If a homozygous deletion event is detected,
Mutation Surveyor artificially gaps the sample trace. If a heterozygous insertion or deletion
event is detected, Mutation Surveyor automatically deconvolutes the mixed trace into two
clean traces.
Figure 5-7: Example of a mutation code for a homozygous insertion event

Indicates the insertion of three bases—T, A, and C—between bases 23 and 24.

Figure 5-8: Example of a mutation code for a homozygous duplication event

Indicates the insertion of three bases—T, A, and C—between bases 23 and 24, where the preceding bases
(21 through 23) are also T, A, and C.

Figure 5-9: Example of a mutation code for a homozygous deletion event

Indicates the deletion of four bases—T, G, C, and A—between bases 65 through 68.

Figure 5-10: Example of a mutation code for a heterozygous insertion event

Indicates the deletion of three bases—T, A, and G—between bases 98 and 99.

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Figure 5-11: Example of a mutation code for a heterozygous duplication event

Indicates the insertion of one base - T - between bases 1316 and 1317, where the preceding base (1316) is
also T.

Figure 5-12: Example of a mutation code for a heterozygous deletion event

Indicates the heterozygous deletion of five bases—C, C, T, G, and A—between bases 123 through 127.

Mutation report viewing and analysis options

A context menu is available for the Mutation report. You use the options on this menu to
change the view of the Mutation report and to manipulate and analyze mutation project data
so that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context menu, right-
click anywhere in the Mutation report.
Figure 5-13: Mutation report context menu

Option Description
Shrink Fit the complete Mutation report in the Viewing and Reporting pane.
Expand Expand all columns in the Mutation report to their default widths.
Note: You might need to Browse the Viewing and Reporting pane to
view the entire report.

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Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the Mutation report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Sort Click in the column by which you want to sort the report, and then click
Sort > Descending or Sort > Ascending.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutation. The text for the mutation code turns
black in both the Mutation report and the Mutation table in the GAD. The
comment <<Checked>> is displayed in the Actions field for the mutation
call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Lane Deletion The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.
Hyperlink to NCBI’s Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
dbSNP

You can also view the information for a mutation in the Mutation report in the GAD. To open
the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

If you click a trace in the GAD with the Mutation report open, the GAD is brought
to the front. To bring the Mutation report to the front again, press [CTRL]-T.

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Two Direction Report

The Two Direction report is automatically generated after you click Reports > Two Direction
Report on the Mutation Surveyor main menu. The Two Direction report shows mutation
information organized by paired sample traces. The fields that are displayed by default in the
report and the color coding of the mutation calls in the report are identical to the default
fields and color coding in the Mutation report. (See “Mutation report fields” on page 128 and
“Color codes” on page 130.) Also, just like the Mutation report, you can change the fields
that are displayed in the report by selecting or clearing the appropriate options on the Output
tab on the Mutation Project Options dialog box. (See “Output tab” on page 62.) Figure 5-14
shows the default Two Direction report. The report opens in a window that is separate from
the Viewing and Reporting pane.
Figure 5-14: Two Direction report

Paired forward and

reverse traces.
Mutations are grouped in
the report based by their
position in the contig.

Sample traces that do not

show a mutation at a position
in the aligned region.

Sample traces that show the

mutation at a position, but is
filtered due to report
settings, or the position is
outside the aligned region.

Allele frequency

Two Direction report layout

The Two Direction report provides the same general information as the Mutation report with
the following exceptions:
• Forward and reverse samples traces are paired next to each other in the report based on
the contig in which they were found. Alternating colors of light blue and light tan are used
to differentiate the sample pairs.
• Mutations are grouped in the report based on their position in the contig. For a position
that shows a mutation call for some of the sample traces:
• The Mutation # cell is blank for other sample traces that do not show a mutation at
this position in the aligned region.

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• “n.a.” is displayed in the Mutation # cell for other sample traces that show the
mutation at this position, but is filtered due to report settings, or the position is outside
the aligned region.
• A row below each group of paired sample files shows the sum of all sizes in the contig,
the average lane quality, and the allele frequency (as a percentage).

Two Direction report toolbar

The Two Direction report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the
report and for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 5-15: Two Direction report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Report Settings—Opens the Two Direction Report Settings dialog box

which contains options for filtering the information that is to be displayed
in the report. See “Two Direction report settings” on page 136.

Advanced Two Direction Report—Opens the Advanced Two Direction

Report Settings dialog box which contains options for filtering the
information that is to be displayed in the report. It also contains options
for specifying the formatting of the mutation code in the report. See
“Advanced Two Direction Report” on page 140.

Undo Latest Deletions—Restores the deletion that you last carried out
in the Two Direction report. Allows for multiple undos.

Lock Sample File in Freezes the Sample Filename column while scrolling.
View

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Two Direction report mutation codes

The mutation codes that are used in the Two Direction report are identical to the codes that
are used in the Mutation report with one exception—by default, the substitution mutation
code also indicates the Dropping Factor and Overlapping Factor for the mutation call.
Figure 5-16: Substitution mutation code in Two Direction report

Dropping factor Overlapping factor

To prevent one or both of these values from being displayed in the mutation code, open the
Two Direction Report Settings dialog box (see “Two Direction report settings” on page 136)
and clear the appropriate options.

Two Direction report viewing and analysis options

The Two Direction report has multiple options available for changing the view of the report
and for manipulating and analyzing mutation project data. These options are:
• The Two Direction report settings. See “Two Direction report settings” below.
• The Two Direction report context menu. See “Two Direction report context menu” on
page 137.

Two Direction report settings

To open the Two Direction Report Settings dialog box, click the Report Settings button
on the Two Direction report toolbar.
Figure 5-17: Two Direction Report Settings dialog box

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Option Description
Homozygous Dropping Indicates the value for the dropping factor at which a mutation is
Threshold identified as either a homozygous substitution or a heterozygous
substitution. For example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because
Mutation Surveyor evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise
below a major peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous
substitution. This value assists in your analysis by converting these calls
to homozygous substitutions.
Note: You can increase this value to view the exact call that Mutation
Surveyor made, but an increased value might result in some
calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
Display the Mutations By default, mutations that are deleted automatically by Mutation
Deleted by the Software Surveyor are displayed in gray text in the Two Direction report. Clear
this option to remove these mutation calls from the report display.
Display Mutations By default, mutations that are deleted by a user are displayed in gray
Deleted by the User text in the Two Direction report. Clear this option to remove these
mutation calls from the report display.
Display Dropping Factor By default, the substitution mutation code in the Two Direction report
indicates the Dropping factor for the mutation call. Clear this option to
remove this value from the mutation code.
Display Overlapping By default, the substitution mutation code in the Two Direction report
Factor indicates the Overlapping factor for the mutation call. Clear this option to
remove this value from the mutation code.

Two Direction report context menu

A context menu is available for the Two Direction report. You use the options on this menu
to change the view of the Two Direction report and to manipulate and analyze mutation
project data so that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context
menu, right-click anywhere in the Two Direction report.
Figure 5-18: Two Direction report context menu

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Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a range
of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select
the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard commands or
menu commands to paste the copied text into an application.
Note: You can also copy the Two Direction report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the left
mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click
and select Copy to copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image
into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select all
mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the Two Direction report
and the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select all
mutations in a column.
Sort By Score Click the appropriate option to sort the all the data by descending mutation
(Descending) score or ascending mutation score.
Sort by Score
(Ascending)
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations, to select all
mutations in a column, or to select multiple rows.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the Two Direction report
and the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Deleted>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Note: To undo the last deletion that you carried out, click the Undo Latest

Deletions button on the report toolbar.

Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The Lane
Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Lane The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.
Deletion
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.
Hyperlink to NCBI’s Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
dbSNP

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You can also view the information for a mutation in the Two Direction report in the GAD. To
open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

If you click a trace in the GAD with the Two Direction report open, the GAD is
brought to the front. To bring the Two Direction report to the front again, press
[CTRL]-T.

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Advanced Two Direction Report

Like the Two Direction report, the Advanced Two Direction report shows mutation
information organized by paired sample traces. Also, the layout of the Advanced Two
Direction report is identical to the layout of the Two Direction report. (See “Two Direction
report layout” on page 134.) The Advanced Two Direction report, however, has different
settings for changing the mutation information that is displayed in the report.
The fields that are displayed by in the report, the mutation codes, and the color coding of the
mutation calls in the report are identical to the fields, mutation codes, and color coding in the
Mutation report (See “Mutation report fields” on page 128, “Mutation report codes” on page
129, and “Color codes” on page 130.) Just like the Mutation report and the Two Direction
report, you can change the fields that are displayed in the report by selecting or clearing the
appropriate options on the Output tab on the Mutation Project Options dialog box. (See
“Output tab” on page 62.)
1. To open the Advanced Two Direction report, do one of the following:

• Click the Advanced Two Direction Report button on the Two Direction report
toolbar.
• On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Reports > Adv. Two Direction Report.
The Advanced Two Direction Report Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 5-19: Advanced Two Direction Report Settings dialog box

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2. Accept the default settings for the report, or make any changes as needed.

Option Description
Mutation Scores
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction has No falls within the comparison region of the other direction.
Call
Reject 1D Calls When Reject mutation calls that occur outside the region where the sample
Other Direction is Not traces in both directions are aligned within the comparison region.
Available
Reject Synonymous Coding region substitutions that do not affect amino acid calls are not
Mutations displayed in the report.
Note: In cases where the entire column was not omitted from the report because of rejection by
one of these criteria, the rejected mutations have no background color and an “n.a.” is
displayed in the Mutation cell instead of the mutation code.
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only
Display Confirmed Display only those mutations that you have manually confirmed in the
Mutations Only report.
Display Mosaic Display mosaic mutations in the report.
Mutations
Homozygous Dropping This value is the dropping factor at which a mutation is identified as
Threshold either a homozygous substitution or a heterozygous substitution. For
example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because Mutation Surveyor
evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise below a major
peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous substitution. This
value assists in your analysis by converting these calls to homozygous
substitutions.
Note: You can increase this value to view the exact call that Mutation
Surveyor made, but an increased value might result in some
calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
Mutation Output Format
Display Mutation As Select one option to set the format of the mutation code in the report.
• 123T>CT (Default value)
• 123CT
Display Negative Display the position and the normal allele for a negative mutation in the
Mutation as 123T report.
Number Bases Relative • If this option is cleared, the numbering is the genomic position within
to cDNA the GenBank file.
• If this option is selected:
• Select CDS to number the bases relative to the CDS numbering in
the GenBank reference file.
• Select mRNA to number the bases relative the mRNA numbering
in the GenBank reference file.

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3. Click OK.
The Advanced Two Direction report is generated and displayed in a window that is
separate from the Viewing and Reporting pane.
Figure 5-20: Advanced Two Direction report

Advanced Two Direction report toolbar

The Advanced Two Direction report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working
with the report and for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 5-21: Advanced Two Direction report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected the text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Report Settings—Opens the settings dialog box to allow adjustment of

the Homozygous Dropping Factor.

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Button Description
Homolog Consensus Sequence Text—Generates an onscreen text file
of the consensus base calls for the forward samples in a contig, for the
reverse samples in a contig, and for the forward and reverse samples
together.
Figure 5-22: Homolog Consensus Sequence Text window

• Save button —Opens the Save As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the sequence text as a .txt file.

• Display Sequence in One Line button —Displays the consensus

sequences in fasta format.
Lock Sample File in Freezes the Sample Filename column while scrolling.
View

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Advanced Two Direction report viewing and analysis options

A context menu is available for the Advanced Two Direction report. You use the options on
this menu to change the view of the Advanced Two Direction report and to manipulate and
analyze mutation project data so that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To
open the context menu, right-click anywhere in the Advanced Two Direction report.
Figure 5-23: Advanced Two Direction report context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the Advanced Two Direction report as an
image. Press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the
region of the image that you want to copy. The selected region
is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the
image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or
menu commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the Advanced Two
Direction report and the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment
<<Checked>> is displayed in the Actions field for the mutation call in the
Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.

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Option Description
Sort By Score Click the appropriate option to sort the all the data by descending
(Descending) mutation score or ascending mutation score.
Sort by Score
(Ascending)
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations, to select all
mutations in a column, or to select multiple rows.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the Advanced Two
Direction report and the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment
<<Deleted>> is displayed in the Actions field for the mutation call in the
Mutation table in the GAD.
Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Deletion The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.
Hyperlink to NCBI’s Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
dbSNP

You can also view the information for a mutation in the Advanced Two Direction report in
the GAD. To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation
in the report.

If you click a trace in the GAD with the Advanced Two Direction report open, the
GAD is brought to the front. To bring the Advanced Two Direction report to the
front again, press [CTRL]-T.

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Project Report
Like the directional reports, the Project report shows mutation information organized by
paired sample traces. Although the layout of the Project report is very similar to the layout of
the directional reports, the report has different settings for working with the report and for
changing the information that is displayed in the report, and reports samples aligning to a
single GenBank file. The fields that are displayed in the report, the mutation codes, and the
color coding of the mutation calls in the report are identical to the fields, mutation codes, and
color coding in the Mutation report (See “Mutation report fields” on page 128, “Mutation
report codes” on page 129, and “Color codes” on page 130.) Just like the other standard
mutation reports, you can change the fields that are displayed in the report by selecting or
clearing the appropriate options on the Output tab on the Mutation Project Options dialog
box. (See “Output tab” on page 62.)
1. To open the Project report, on the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Reports > Project
report.
The Project Report Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 5-24: Project Report Settings dialog box

2. Accept the default settings for the report, or make any changes as needed.

Option Description
Mutation Scores
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction has No falls within the comparison region of the other direction.
Call
Reject 1D Calls When Reject mutation calls that occur outside the region where the sample
Other Direction is Not traces in both directions are aligned within the comparison region.
Available

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Option Description
Reject Synonymous Coding region substitutions that do not affect amino acid calls are not
Mutations displayed in the report.
Note: In cases where the entire column was not omitted from the report because of rejection by
one of these criteria, the rejected mutations have no background color and an “n.a.” is
displayed in the Mutation cell instead of the mutation code.
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only
Display Confirmed Display only those mutations that you have manually confirmed in the
Mutations Only report.
Display Mosaic Display mosaic mutations in the report. This option requires using
Mutations Check 2D Small Peaks in the Mutation Project Settings “Display tab” on
page 64.
Homozygous Dropping This value is the dropping factor at which a mutation is identified as
Threshold either a homozygous substitution or a heterozygous substitution. For
example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because Mutation Surveyor
evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise below a major
peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous substitution. This
value assists in your analysis by converting these calls to homozygous
substitutions. You can increase this value to view the exact call that
Mutation Surveyor made, but an increased value might result in some
calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
Sample Grouping
Specify the filename substring by which Mutation Surveyor groups all
the mutation project samples files in the report. (These groupings are
also used in the Project Sample Assembly subreport and in the
Comparison functions. See “Project report toolbar” on page 148.)
• n-Primer (n-D) Text Input—Use the ND Grouping file to group the
sample files. See “ND Filename Match Editor Tool” on page 264.
• Filename Match (based on one of the following):
• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—If all the filenames in your
project contain the same characters/designator in the same
positions, then select this option and enter the starting and ending
character positions.
Note: Typical Block—If all the filenames in your project contain the
same characters/designator but in different positions, then
select this option and enter the value for the character/
designator block.

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3. Click OK.
The Project report is generated and displayed in a window that is separate from the
Viewing and Reporting pane.
Figure 5-25: Project report

Project report toolbar

The Project report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the report and
for changing the information that is displayed in the report. It also contains buttons for
generating subreports in which you can view mutations in a matrix and view the alleles for
each mutation.
Figure 5-26: Project report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

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Button Description
Report Settings—Opens the Project Report Settings dialog box. See
Step 2 of “Project Report” on page 146.

Project Sample Assembly—Opens the Project Sample Assembly

subreport. The Project Sample Assembly subreport creates a
consensus of all the samples traces as defined by the Sample Grouping
parameters set in the Project Report Settings dialog box. This subreport
also lists the alleles for each mutation. See “Project Sample Assembly
subreport” on page 150.
Consensus Sequence Text—Opens the Consensus Sequence Text
dialog box. The Consensus Sequence Text function searches sample
files that have been grouped based on a specific filename for
consensus sequence strings. See “Consensus Sequence Text function”
on page 151.
Sequence Text Comparison—Opens the Sequence Text Comparison
dialog box. The Sequence Text Comparison function compares the
sequence text for sample files that have been grouped based on a
specific filename substring to the sequence text in the reference file.
See “Sequence Text Comparison function” on page 152.
Amino Acid Text Comparison—Opens the Amino Acid Text Comparison
dialog box. The Amino Acid Text Comparison function compares the
amino acid sequence for sample files that have been grouped based on
a specific filename substring to the amino acid sequence in the
reference file. See “Amino Acid Text Comparison function” on page 154.
Lock Sample File in Freezes the Sample Filename column while scrolling.
View

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Project Sample Assembly subreport

The Project Sample Assembly subreport displays a separate row for each substring, the total
number of mutations found in all the files that contain the specified substring, and the code
for each called mutation. The subreport can be saved as a text file.
Figure 5-27: Project Sample Assembly subreport

• To view the group consensus results within a matrix, click Display Results on the
subreport toolbar.
Figure 5-28: Results matrix view of mutations

• To view a matrix of the alleles for each group consensus for each mutation, click Display
Alleles on the subreport toolbar.
Figure 5-29: Allele matrix view of mutations
\

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Consensus Sequence Text function

The Consensus Sequence Text function searches sample files that have been grouped based
on a specific filename for consensus sequence strings. You can also specify a minimum lane
quality to exclude low quality samples
Figure 5-30: Consensus Sequence Text Settings dialog box

Figure 5-31 is an example of the Consensus Sequence Text report. The reference information
is displayed at the top of the report. The consensus sequence for the base pair region is
displayed below the reference information and is grouped by filename substring.
Figure 5-31: Consensus Sequence Text report

Consensus Sequence Text window toolbar

The Consensus Sequence Text window toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working
with the output and for changing the output display.

Button Description
Save Sequence Text—Opens the Save As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the output as a .txt file.

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Button Description
Display Sequence in One Line—Displays the consensus sequences in
fasta format.

Save As PHD file—Opens the Browse for Folder dialog box in which
you can specify the location for saving the output as a .phd file. A .phd
file contains three columns:
• Column 1-Base call
• Column 2-Quality score for the called base
• Column 3-Raw data frame for called base
You can open a .phd file in Notepad.

Sequence Text Comparison function

The Sequence Text Comparison function compares the sequence text for sample files that
have been grouped based on a specific filename substring to the sequence text in the
reference file. You can also specify a minimum lane quality to exclude low quality samples.
Figure 5-32: Sequence Text Comparison Settings dialog box

Figure 5-33 on page 153 is an example of the Sequence Text Comparison report. The
reference sequence is displayed at the top of the report as a single continuous string of
characters without numbering or spacing. Sample files are grouped by substring and are
displayed below the reference sequence. In a sample file sequence, a black dot (.) indicates a
match between the reference file and the sample file. A black dash (-) indicates an artificial
gap added to a sample file so that all the sample files remain aligned. This gap can be the
result of a deletion in the gapped sample or of an insertion in another sample. If a different
base is at the same position in the sample file and reference file, then the standard IUB/
IUPAC code for the base is shown in the sample file at the position.

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Figure 5-33: Sequence Text Comparison report

Sequence Text Comparison window toolbar

The Sequence Text window toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the
output.

Button Description
Save Sequence Text—Opens the Save As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the output as a .txt file.

Save As PHD file—Opens the Browse for Folder dialog box in which
you can specify the location for saving the output as a .phd file. A .phd
file contains three columns:
• Column 1-Base call
• Column 2-Quality score for the called base
• Column 3-Raw data frame for called base
You can open a PHD file in Notepad.

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Amino Acid Text Comparison function

The Amino Acid Text Comparison function compares the amino acid sequence for sample
files that have been grouped based on a specific filename substring to the amino acid
sequence in the reference file. You can also specify a minimum lane quality to exclude low
quality samples.
Figure 5-34: Amino Acid Text Comparison Settings dialog box

Figure 5-35 is an example of the Amino Acid Text Comparison report. The amino acid
sequence for the reference file displayed at the top of the report using standard IUB/IUPAC
amino acid codes. Sample files are grouped by substring and are displayed below the
reference sequence. In a sample file sequence, a black dot (.) indicates a match between the
reference file and the sample file. If a different amino acid is at the same position in the
sample file and reference file, then the standard IUB/IUPAC code for the amino acid is
shown in the sample file at the position.
Figure 5-35: Amino Acid Text Comparison report

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Amino Acid Text Comparison window toolbar

The Amino Acid Text Comparison window toolbar contains a single button that is specific
for working with the output.

Button Description
Save Sequence Text—Opens the Save As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the output as a .txt file.

Project report viewing and analysis options

A context menu is available for the Project report. You use the options on this menu to
change the view of the Project report and to manipulate and analyze mutation project data so
that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context menu, right-
click anywhere in the Project report.
Figure 5-36: Project report context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the Project report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the Project report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.

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Option Description
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
Sort By Score Click the appropriate option to sort the all the data by descending
(Descending) mutation score or ascending mutation score.
Sort by Score
(Ascending)

You can also view the information for a mutation in the Project report in the GAD. To open
the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

If you click a trace in the GAD with the Project report open, the GAD is brought to
the front. To bring the Project report to the front again, press [CTRL]-T.

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HGVS Report
Like the directional reports, the HGVS report shows mutation information organized by
paired sample traces. Also, the layout of the HGVS report is very similar to the layout of the
directional reports. (See “Two Direction report layout” on page 134.) The HGVS report,
however, displays mutation calls according to the guidelines established by the Human
Genome Variations Society. (The color coding of these calls is still the same as the color
coding that is used in the other standard Mutation Surveyor reports. See “Color codes” on
page 130.) In addition to the standard report mutation fields specified for the project (see
“Output tab” on page 62), the HGVS report shows many quality values for the project,
including quality values for the entire trace, the comparison region, and the ROIs.
1. To open the HGVS report, on the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Reports > HGVS
report.
The HGVS Report Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 5-37: HGVS Report Settings dialog box

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2. Accept the default settings for the report, or make any changes as needed.

Option Description
Mutation Scores
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction has No falls within the comparison region of the other direction.
Call
Reject 1D Calls When Reject mutation calls that occur outside the region where the sample
Other Direction is Not traces in both directions are aligned within the comparison region.
Available
Reject Synonymous Coding region substitutions that do not affect amino acid calls are not
Mutations displayed in the report.
Note: In cases where the entire column was not omitted from the report because of rejection by
one of these criteria, the rejected mutations do not have a background color and an “n.a.” is
displayed in the Mutation cell instead of the mutation code.
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only
Display Confirmed Display only those mutations that you have manually confirmed in the
Mutations Only report.
Display Mosaic Display mosaic mutations in the report. This option requires using
Mutations Check 2D Small Peaks in the Mutation Project Settings. See “Display
tab” on page 64.
Homozygous Dropping Indicates the value for the dropping factor at which a mutation is
Threshold identified as either a homozygous substitution or a heterozygous
substitution. For example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because
Mutation Surveyor evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise
below a major peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous
substitution. This value assists in your analysis by converting these calls
to homozygous substitutions. You can increase this value to view the
exact call that Mutation Surveyor made, but an increased value might
result in some calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
Note: You can increase this value to view the exact call that Mutation
Surveyor made, but an increased value might result in some
calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
Phred Score Threshold A measure of base quality, all bases that are in the ROI and that have a
Phred score <= to the specified value are displayed in the Bases Below
Threshold (ROI) report column. Reducing this value reduces the
number of bases that are displayed. Conversely, increasing this value
increased the number of based that are displayed.
Trace Quality

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Option Description
Display the trace quality for one or more or all the following:
• Entire Trace
• Comparison Region
• ROI (CDS)
and set the trace quality relative to one of the following:
• Phred Score
• S/N Ratio
Quality Threshold A filtering option to visually indicate all the quality values that fall below
this threshold. Quality values that fall below this threshold are
highlighted in red in the report.
Low Quality Threshold Any lanes with quality that is less than this threshold are not displayed in
is: [ ] the report.
Note: The value shown is the value that you specified for the Quality
Threshold on the Output tab of the Mutation Project Settings
dialog box. To change this value, see “Output tab” on page 62.
Display Start and End
Display start and end base numbering as one of the following:
• Genomic
• HGVS nomenclature
Amino Acid
• 1 Letter • Display 1 Letter IUPAC amino acid code in the report.
• 3 Letter • Display 3 Letter IUPAC amino acid code in the report.

3. Click OK.
The HGVS report is generated and displayed in a window that is separate from the
Viewing and Reporting pane.
Figure 5-38: HGVS report

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HGVS report toolbar

The HGVS report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the report and
for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 5-39: HGVS report toolbar
]

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Report Settings—Opens the HGVS Report Settings dialog box. See

Step 2 of “HGVS Report” on page 157.

Homolog Consensus Sequence Text—Generates an onscreen text file

of the consensus base calls for the forward samples in a contig, for the
reverse samples in a contig, and for the forward and reverse samples
together.
Figure 5-40: Homolog Consensus Sequence Text window

• Save button —Opens the Save As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the .txt file.

• Display Sequence in One Line button —Displays the consensus

sequences in fasta format.

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Button Description
Mutation Output for Database—Outputs the HGVS report to a format
that can be exported to a database.
Figure 5-41: Mutation Output for Database

• Save button —Opens the Save As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the mutation output as a .txt
file.

• Report Settings button —Opens the Mutation Output dialog box.

You use the options on this dialog box to select the fields that are to
be included in the Mutation output. By default, when the dialog box
first opens, all standard mutation report fields are selected.
Lock Sample File in Freezes the Sample Filename column while scrolling.
View

HGVS report viewing and analysis options

A context menu is available for the HGVS report. You use the options on this menu to
change the view of the HGVS report and to manipulate and analyze mutation project data so
that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context menu, right-
click anywhere in the HGVS report.
Figure 5-42: HGVS report context menu

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Option Description
Copy Copies the selected the text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in
a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Note: You can also copy the HGVS report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the HGVS report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
Sort By Score Click the appropriate option to sort the all the data by descending
(Descending) mutation score or ascending mutation score.
Sort by Score
(Ascending)
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations, to select all
mutations in a column, or to select multiple rows.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the HGVS report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Deleted>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Deletion The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.

You can also view the information for a mutation in the HGVS report in the GAD. To open
the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

If you click a trace in the GAD with the HGVS report open, the GAD is brought to
the front. To bring the HGVS report to the front again, press [CTRL]-T.

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A text-based custom report is available in Mutation Surveyor. This reports contain options
for building a tailored report that provides detailed information about your mutation projects
in a format that best suits your specific working needs. In addition, you can print the report
information and you can save and store the report output for use at a later date.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Custom Report” on page 164.

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Custom Report
The Custom report offers a variety of report formats in which to display your mutation
project data. A variety of options are also available for tailoring the report to best suit your
working needs, including sample grouping options, report heading options, options for
filtering the variations that are displayed in the report, display options for samples and
mutation calls, color-coding options for mutation calls, and nomenclature options for
mutation calls. You can create a custom report template from scratch, or you can load an
existing custom report template, modify the settings as needed, and then save the modified
template.

To create a Custom Report template

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Reports > Custom Report.
The Custom Report Settings dialog box opens. The Format tab is the active tab.
Figure 6-1: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Format tab

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2. Do one of the following:

• To set up a new custom report from scratch, select your options and specify the
appropriate values on the different dialog box tabs.
• To generate the report based on existing settings, click Load to browse to and select
the MS Report Template.ini file that you want to use. Optionally, before you
generate the report, modify the settings for the loaded report as needed.
See:
• “Format tab” on page 166.
• “Filters tab” on page 170.
• “Display tab” on page 172.
• “Mutation tab” on page 173.
• “Color tab” on page 176.
• “Nomenclature tab” on page 177.
• “Other tab” on page 179.

Click Default at any time to reset all the values on all the tabs to the system default
values.

3. Do one of the following:

• To generate an onscreen report according to the settings that you have specified,
click OK.
The report opens in the Custom Report window.
Figure 6-2: Custom Report window

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• To save the settings for loading and generating a report at a later date, click Save.
The Save Mutation Surveyor Report Template dialog box opens. By default, a
Custom report is saved as MutationSurveryor_CRSettings.ini file in the
%localappdata%\SoftGenetics\MutationSurveyor\Report folder. If you do not want
to override the default custom report file supplied with Mutation Surveyor, change
the name of the file, the location of the file, or both.

Format tab
The Format tab contains options for the formatting and layout of the custom report.
Figure 6-3: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Format tab
]

Option Description
Table Format
One Trace Per Row Display all mutation information for each trace in its own row.
Generate Forward/ Create a single consensus by merging the forward consensus and
Reverse Consensus reverse consensus.
Generate Group Create a single consensus by merging all the consensus information for
Consensus the sample group.
Mutation Position Aligns mutations by column within each group (By Group) or aligns
Specific for Column mutations by column across all groups (By Table).
One Mutation per Row Display information for each mutation call in its own row.
Note: Select if mutation information is to be exported to a database.
Transpose Generates a table that has base positions in rows and sample traces in
columns.

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Option Description
Headings
Show Display Region Selected by default. If you clear this option, then column headings are
Heading not displayed in the report.
Show Mutation Number Labels mutation call columns with Variant number.
Show Position Labels mutation call columns by the genomic position referenced in the
Information GenBank file.
Note: A particularly useful option if you display mutation calls by a
nomenclature other than Genomic.
Show Default Header Displays the Mutation Surveyor version number, the date and time that
Information the report was generated, the project name (if loading a saved project)
and the report settings file name. “Default” is displayed as the report
settings filename when the report is generated using the system default
settings. The actual report filename is displayed when the report is
generated using a saved report settings file. “Customized” is displayed
in all other cases. (The settings were not loaded using a saved report
settings file and the settings are not the system default settings.)
Create Header/Custom Click Create Header to open the Create Header dialog box which
Header File contains a template for creating a custom header that can be displayed
at the top of a custom report.
Figure 6-4: Create Header dialog box

Do one of the following:

• Modify any of the default template information in either column.
• Click Open to select an existing custom header file to modify.
You can add or delete rows of information as needed.
• To delete a row from the header, right-click the row, and then click
Delete a Row.
• To insert a row into the header, right-click the row that is to be located
below the inserted row, and then click Insert a Row.
• To add a row as the last row in the header, right-click any row, and
then click Add a Row.
Click Save to save the custom header as an .inf file, and then click the
Browse button to browse to and load the saved header file for the
custom report.

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Option Description
Grouping—Traces are initially grouped based on the 1st Order Grouping option. Further sorting is
then carried out based on the 2nd Order Grouping option, and then on the 3rd Order Grouping
option.
• Contig • The default value for 1st Order. Groups are sorted based on the
Contigs that Mutation Surveyor created for determining mutation
calls.
• Trace • When Trace is selected, the From Character X to Y option is enabled.
Traces are sorted into groups based on character matching in the
specified positions in the trace filenames.
• Grouping File • Traces are sorted into groups based on the grouping method that is
specified in the Load Grouping text file. See “2D Filename Match
Editor tool” on page 261.
• Sample ID • When Sample ID is selected, both the Load Sample ID button and
the From Character X to Y option are enabled. Click Load Sample ID
to open the Load Sample ID dialog box and specify the different
Sample IDs, such as Patient #, by which to group the traces. You can
also click Open to load an existing Sample ID file.
Note: By default, the Load Sample ID dialog box contains rows for up
to ten different Sample IDs. You can right-click and click Insert
or Delete as needed.
Figure 6-5: Load Sample ID dialog box

The traces that are to be grouped together must contain at least one of
these Sample IDs in their filenames but they do not need to be in the
same location in the filename. When grouping by Sample ID, the trace
filenames are first checked based on the Sample IDs defined in the
Load Sample ID dialog box. The values specified in the From Character
X to Y fields are ignored if all the trace filenames contain at least one of
these Sample IDs. Traces that do not contain any of these Sample IDs
in their filenames are sorted into groups based on the values specified
in the From Character X to Y fields. Traces that do not contain any of
these Sample IDs and that do not contain the characters specified in the
From Character X to Y fields are sorted into their own group.
• F/R pairing • The default value for the 2nd Order. Places two-directional traces in
adjacent rows.

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Option Description
• Trace Position • The default value for the 3rd Order. Traces are sorted into groups
based on where they match to the GenBank reference file. Each
trace is matched at its starting genomic base number. Groups can be
sorted so that traces that match to the earliest reference base are
displayed first.
• Gene • Traces are sorted into groups based on the gene names defined in
the GenBank reference file.
• Exon • Traces are sorted into groups based on the exons defined in the
GenBank reference file.
• Trace Quality • Traces are sorted into groups based on the lane quality for the trace.
• None • Ignore the sorting level.
• All in One Group • Traces are placed in a single group. Only available for the 1st Order.
Add Blank Rows Selected by default. Clear this option of you do not want a blank row to
between Groups be displayed between groups of traces in the custom report.
Group Summary
• Do Not Show Group • Do not display a row below each group that shows such information
Summary Information as the average frequency of the call among the traces.
• Show Allele • Show Allele Frequency—Adds a row below each group that displays
Information the average frequency of the call among all the traces. Traces for
which data is not available for the indicated position are not used in
the frequency calculation.
• Show Advanced Allele Information—Applicable only if you are
analyzing diploid samples. Displays the frequency of each allele by
traces and as a grand total.
• Total—Shows the frequency of the two alleles within each sample
trace.
• Grand Total (2D data)
• If both the forward and reverse traces show a mutation at the
position, then the alleles in the Forward direction mutation call
are used in the calculation of the allele frequency.
• If data is not available for the position in one of the traces, then
the alleles in the mutation call in the other direction are used in
the calculation of the allele frequency.
• If data is available for the position in both traces, but only one of
the traces has a mutation call, then Mutation Surveyor ignores
this pair and the alleles in the sample trace with the mutation
call are not used in the calculation of the allele frequency.
• Grand Total (1D data)—The alleles in each trace are used in the
calculation of the allele frequency.
• Show Mutation • Applicable only if you have loaded a GenBank file with reported
Summary variations. Displays a listing of variants within each group, with
variants placed in one of two columns—Unreported and Reported.
The Unreported column displays novel variants that were found in the
sample files, but were not reported in the GenBank file. The Reported
column displays the reported variants that were found in the sample
files.

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Filters tab
The Filters tab contains options for specifying which traces are to be displayed in the custom
report.

Some of the options on this tab are self-explanatory, and therefore, not all these
options are discussed in this section.

Figure 6-6: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Filters tab

Option Description
Traces
Show Selected Traces Filtering options that limit the traces that are displayed in the report to
only those that meet the selected criteria.
• Containing No Mutation Calls
• Containing only normal alleles—Traces without mutations that can
have mosaics, negative SNPs, and/or negative mutations.
• Containing Negative SNPs—A negative SNP is defined as position
in the GenBank file at which a variation has been reported, but no
variation was detected at the same position in the sample trace.
Sample traces that have negative SNPs might still contain
mutation calls.
• Containing Negative Mutations—A negative mutation is defined as
a position in a sample trace at which a variation was detected, but
no variation was detected at the same position for other sample
traces in the group. Sample traces that have negative mutations
might still contain mutation calls.
• Unmatched Traces—Clear this option to remove sample traces
from the Custom report that do not match to the reference trace.

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Option Description
Nucleotide Quality
• Phred Score Define nucleotide quality thresholds based on the nucleotide Phred
• Intensity Score and the nucleotide Intensity. Used to mitigate the calling of false
positives when the data quality is poor.
Mutation Calls
Show All Mutations Show all mutations of all types in all regions.
Show Selected Filtering options that limit the mutations that are displayed in the report
Mutations to only those that meet the selected criteria of type and region. (Show
only mutations of the selected type in the selected regions.)
• Regions—Limit the mutations that are displayed to only those that
are called within regions of interest (ROI) that are defined in the
GenBank reference file.
• Mutation Types
• Selected Types—You must choose at least one type from each
group.
Note: When choosing at least one type from each group:
• Homozygous Dropping Threshold—Indicates the value for the
dropping factor at which a mutation is identified as either a
homozygous substitution or a heterozygous substitution. For
example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because Mutation Surveyor
evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise below a major
peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous substitution.
This value assists in your analysis by converting these calls to
homozygous substitutions. You can increase this value to view the
exact call that Mutation Surveyor made, but an increased value might
result in some calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
• Reject 1D Calls When Other Direction has No Call—Reject a
mutation that is called in only one direction when the position falls
within the comparison region of the other direction.
• Reject 1D Calls When Other Direction is Not Available—Reject a
mutation that is called in only one direction when the position falls
outside the comparison region of the other direction.

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Display tab
The Display tab contains options for specifying the columns to display in the custom report.

The majority of the options on this tab are self-explanatory, and therefore, not all
these options are discussed in this section.

Figure 6-7: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Display tab

Option Description
Region of Interest • ROI Coverage—Identifies when an ROI has not aligned entirely
within the Comparison Region.
• ROI Phred String—Display a single ASCII character representation of
the Phred score for each nucleotide position within an ROI. The
ASCII character that is displayed for a Phred Score is the Phred
Score + 32. For example, if the Phred Score = 1, then 1 + 32 = 33, or
the 33rd character in the ASCII character set, which is an
exclamation point (!).
Note: For an ASCI character map, see http://www.asciitable.com/.
Quality Information • Trace Quality Information—Options in this section are used to identify
traces of low quality. The Low Quality Threshold is the value that is
specified for Lane Quality in the Mutation project settings. (See
“Quality Trim” on page 58.) The trace is also identified with the
background color that has been selected for Quality Failure on the
Colors tab. (See “Color tab” on page 176.)
• Nucleotide Quality Information—Options in this section are used to
identify nucleotide positions of poor quality. (See “Score Trim [ ]” on
page 58.)

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Mutation tab
The Mutation tab contains options for displaying information for the various mutation calls
as well as options for displaying information about positions where mutations were not
called.

The majority of options on this tab are self-explanatory, and therefore, not all
these options are discussed in this section.

Figure 6-8: Custom Report Settings, Mutation tab

Option Description
Show Mutation Call Information
Nucleotide Position Nucleotide positions are displayed in the nomenclature that you select
on the Nomenclature tab. (See “Nomenclature tab” on page 177.)
Amino Acid Position By default, amino acid information is organized with the reference amino
acid appearing first, the amino acid position appearing next, and the
mutation amino acid appearing last. If you do not select Amino Acid
Position, then a slash (/) is displayed between the reference amino acid
and the mutation amino acids.
Confidence(!) Displays a Confidence mark (!) for mutation calls that exceed certain
thresholds that are defined in the MutationSurveyor.ini file.
Caution: Although you can modify these thresholds, SoftGenetics does
not recommend that you do so on your own. Contact
SoftGenetics for assistance.
Comments Displays all comments that were added to a mutation call, either
automatically by Mutation Surveyor or manually by a user.

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Option Description
Show Non-Mutation Call Information
Show Normal Alleles • Show Negative SNP—Display selected Show Normal Allele
Information for nucleotides that do not show the variations reported in
the GenBank or SEQ file. For indels, “no_ins” or “no_del” is
displayed.
• Show Negative Mutations—Display selected Show Normal Allele
Information for a position in a sample trace at which a variation was
not detected, but the variation was detected at the same position for
other sample traces in the group.
• Show Normal Allele Information—Specify the information that is to be
displayed for positions that do not have an identified mutation call.
Note: When Normal Allele Information is displayed and One Mutation
per Row is selected (see “Table Format” on page 166), all
options selected in the Show Mutation Call Information section
are exported for both mutation calls and normal alleles.
General Information
Reported Variant Displays all the variations’ annotations that are included in the GenBank
Annotation file such as the dbSNP identifier as well as the annotation fields from the
Variation Tracks selected to report.
Genotype With this option selected, Mutation Surveyor assumes that the analysis
is for a diploid organism and displays the two alleles at the nucleotide
position. For indels, a homozygous insertion of “A,” for example, is
displayed as “insA insA,” and a heterozygous insertion of “A,” is
displayed as “normal ins A.” If there is no insertion, then “Normal
Normal” is displayed.
NM_Score Assigns a score to each sample nucleotide that indicates the
contribution of the normal allele at the position compared to the
contribution of the possible mutant alleles at the same position. The
score is based on the height ratio of the four different dye colors and the
shape of the four peaks at each nucleotide position. The range is 0-100.
A high score indicates a high degree of similarity between the sample
trace and the reference trace, which, in turn, means that the sample
trace more than likely contains a normal allele at the position. A low
score indicates a high degree of difference between the sample trace
and the reference trace, which, in turn, means that the sample trace
more than likely contains a homozygous substitution. Scores in the
middle indicate high levels of noise and error or heterozygous
substitutions in the sample trace.

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Option Description
Display Information—Specifies how the mutation call information is to be distributed in table cells
for display.
• One Field • All the information displayed in a single field.
• Report the Deletion and Insertion as Delins—If an insertion and
deletion occur at the same position, then they are merged into a
single call at the position.
• Mutation Call Nucleotides Relative to Gene Direction—Make the
mutation call based on the gene orientation. To make a mutation
call for a gene on the reverse strand, a reverse complement is
generated.
• Multiple Fields • Multiple Fields (Group Nts, A.A., and Score into One Field or Group
Nts and A.A. into Relevant Fields)—Specific pieces of information
grouped into fields.
• All Information in Unique Fields—Each piece of information displayed
in its own column.
Show Advanced Display • [ ] # of nucleotides Displayed Before/After Mutation—Displays the
specified normal number of alleles on either side of the variant. The
position is displayed with a slash (/) between the normal allele and
the mutation alleles.
• Display Position—Displays the reference nucleotide and its position,
the consensus nucleotides for the group at this position, the amino
acid information (if applicable), and the reported variants’
annotations. This information can be displayed in One Field or in
Multiple Fields.

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Color tab
The Color tab provides a variety of color-coding options to assist you with identifying
different types of mutation calls and potential analysis problems.
Figure 6-9: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Color tab

Color-coding is applied according to the following:

• If a mutation call meets several color-coding criteria, the call is displayed in the report in
the color of highest priority.
• If None is selected for a color-coding option, then the color of the next highest priority is
used.
• For Mutation Region color-coding, Quality Failure has the highest priority.
• For Mutation Region Text color-coding, the priorities from highest to lowest are as
follows—Deleted, Confirmed, Added, Edited, High Confidence, Low Confidence,
Normal Alleles, and Not Available.
• For Mutation Region Background color coding, priorities from highest to lowest are as
follows—Discrepancy, Mosaic, Familial, Pathogenic, Likely_Pathogenic,
Unlikely_Pathogenic, Benign, Drug_Sensitive, Drug_Resistant, dbSNP, VUS, Reported,
A.A. Change, Indel, Synonymous, Heterozygous, Homozygous, Not Available, and
Heading(s) where:
• Discrepancy identifies the variants within a consensus of traces that have at least one
member of the consensus that differs from the others. The Discrepancy indicator is
available for the Generate Forward/ Reverse Consensus table format and the Generate
Group Consensus table format. (See “Table Format” on page 166.)

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• Synonymous identifies the coding region substitutions that do not affect the amino
acid sequence.

When a consensus is formed, discrepancies are identified only for positions that
have data available. For example, if Generate Forward/Reverse Consensus is the
selected table format, and the Forward trace contains a mutation call at position
#320 but the Reverse trace does not at this position because data is not available,
then a discrepancy is not detected.

If you select Apply Color Coding as text, then when you save the Custom report as a .txt file,
the color-coding is shown as a comment in the file.

Nomenclature tab
The Nomenclature tab contains options for specifying the nomenclature that is to be used for
the mutation calls.
Figure 6-10: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Nomenclature tab

Option Description
Genomic Displays the mutation call positions based on the genomic position
referenced in the GenBank file.
Relative to CDS Displays the mutation call positions relative to the CDS numbering in the
GenBank reference file. A mutation that is called in the CDS is prefixed
with a “c.” A mutation that is called in a non-coding region is prefixed
with “IVS.” Its position is identified by the closest nucleotide in the
coding sequence plus or minus the number of bps by which it resides
away from the closest nucleotide.

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Option Description
Relative to mRNA Displays the mutation call positions relative to the mRNA numbering in
the GenBank reference file. A mutation that is called in the mRNA
region is prefixed with a “c.” A mutation that is called outside of an
mRNA region is identified by the closest nucleotide in the mRNA region
plus or minus the number of bps by which it resides away from the
closest nucleotide.
HGVS Displays the mutation call positions relative to its position in the coding
sequence. A mutation that is called in a non-coding region is identified
by the closest nucleotide in the coding sequence plus or minus the
number of bps by which it resides away from the closest nucleotide.
Both alleles are shown in separate bracketed statements.
Forensic (SWGDAM) Displays the mutation call using SWGDAM Guidelines.
Note: If any one of the four standard Nomenclature options is selected and a GenBank file was
not loaded as the reference file, then the Base Number is enclosed in parenthesis and it
indicates the position of the base in the reference file. If both a GenBank file and a
reference file were loaded for the mutation project and the mutation was called at a position
that does not align to the GenBank file, then the Base Number is enclosed in parenthesis
and is displayed as +/- the number of base pairs by which the mutation was shifted in
comparison to the GenBank file.
Custom Allows you to tailor the nomenclature for mutation calls to best suit your
working needs.

Figure 6-11: Nomenclature examples

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Other tab
The Other tab contains options that affect the report display as well as processing options for
the report.
Figure 6-12: Custom Report Settings dialog box, Other tab

Option Description
Output
Save Processing Saves all the settings that you selected for the report as part of the
Settings with Report report output.
Save Excel Format as Saves the Custom report as an Excel file with all the data columns
Text formatted as Text.
Save XML Report with Saves the Custom report as an XML file.
Report

Save VCF Report • Save as One Report—Selected by default. Generate a single VCF
report that includes the information for all the sample groupings.
• Save Each Group as Individual Reports—Generate a VCF report for
each sample grouping.
Note: Remember, you specify the sample grouping on the Format tab.
See “Format tab” on page 166.
Other Settings
Enable “Hide Selected Enables on the Hide Columns and Hide Rows function on the Custom
Rows/Columns” report context menu. See “Custom Report viewing and analysis options”
on page 181.

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Custom Report toolbar

The Custom report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the report and
for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 6-13: Custom report toolbar

Button Description
Save—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can specify a
name for the saved report as well as its format (.vcf, .xls/.xlsx, or .txt)
The default location is
%localappdata%\SoftGenetics\MutationSurveyor\Report, but you can
select a different location.
Settings—Opens the Custom Report Settings dialog box in which you
can adjust your report settings.

Print—Opens the custom report in the Print Custom Report window. The
window toolbar contains buttons for working with the report and for
printing the report.
Figure 6-14: Print Custom Report window

• \Print button —Opens the Print dialog box in which you can
specify the options for printing the Custom report. By default, only the
page that is currently displayed in the Print Custom Report window is
selected for printing. You can leave the default as is, or you can
select the entire report or a range of pages for printing.

• Display Previous and Display Next buttons—Use these

buttons to Browse forward and backward through the Custom report
one page at a time.

• Page Setup button —Opens the Page Setup dialog box in which
you can specify the page properties of the report pages (such as
page size and orientation) for printing.

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Custom Report viewing and analysis options

A context menu is available for the Custom report. You use the options on this menu to
change the view of the Custom report and to manipulate and analyze mutation project data so
that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context menu,
right-click anywhere in the Custom report.
Figure 6-15: Custom report context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the Custom report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations for
confirmation or to select all mutations in a column for
confirmation.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the Custom report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.

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Option Description
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for a selected mutation or a selected
column.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations for
confirmation or to select all mutations in a column for
confirmation.
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations for deletion,
to select all mutations in a column for deletion, or to select
multiple rows for deletion.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the Custom report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Deleted>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Deletion Removes the “Deleted” status for a selected mutation, a selected
column, or a selected row.
Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Lane Detection The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.
Hide Selected Rows Enabled if “Enable Hide Selected Rows/Columns” is selected on the
Hide Selected Columns Other tab. (See “Other tab” on page 179.)

Undo Last Hide Rows/ Enabled if selected rows and/or columns are hidden in the Custom
Columns report.
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.
Hyperlink to NCBI’s Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
dbSNP

Other options include the following:

• To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the
Custom report.

If you click a trace in the GAD with the Custom report open, the GAD is brought
to the front. To bring the Custom report to the front again, press [CTRL]-T.

• To select all cells in the Custom report in a single step, press [CTRL]-A.
• To auto-scale the width of a column to its largest entry, double-click the first cell in the
column.

If you auto-scale the report after selecting all the cells in the report, you can resize
the entire report easily in a single step.

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Reports
Customer reports are another type of custom report in Mutation Surveyor. Each report was
initially developed as a template to provide custom content that met a specific customer’s
needs. All these report templates are now available from the Reports > Customer Reports
option on the Mutation Surveyor main menu
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “JHU report” on page 185.
• “Tassel report” on page 190.
• “Emory report” on page 193.
• “Bentley report and MSM_Song report” on page 196.
• “PrettyBase report” on page 200.
• “Methylation report” on page 203.
• “Vertex report” on page 207.
• “Vertex2 report” on page 209.
• “Vertex3 report” on page 212.
• “Full Gene report” on page 215.
• “FullBase report” on page 222.

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JHU report
The JHU report displays various quality scores for a defined ROI organized by paired sample
traces. The layout of the JHU Output report is identical to the layout of the Two Direction
report. (See “Two Direction report layout” on page 134.) The mutation codes, and the color
coding of the mutation calls in the report are identical to the mutation codes and color coding
in the Mutation report (See “Mutation report fields” on page 128, “Mutation report codes” on
page 129, and “Color codes” on page 130.) The JHU report contains fields that are specific
to the report as well as all the fields that are displayed in any of the standard mutation
reports.

Figure 7-1: JHU report

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JHU Report toolbar

The JHU report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the report and for
changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 7-2: JHU report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Undo Latest Deletions—Restores the deletion that you last carried out
in the JHU report. Allows for multiple undos.

Report Settings—Opens the JHU Report Settings dialog box which

contains options for filtering the information that is to be displayed in the
report. See “JHU report settings” on page 187.

Display the Sequence of ROI—Generates an onscreen text file of the

sequences in the GenBank ROIs.
Figure 7-3: Sequence in Region of Interest window

• Save button —Opens the Save Sequence Text As dialog box in

which you can specify a name and location for saving the .txt file.

• Display Sequence in One Line button —Displays the sequences

in fasta format.
Lock Sample File in Freezes the Sample Filename column while scrolling.
View

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JHU report viewing and analysis options

The JHU report has multiple options available for changing the view of the report and for
manipulating and analyzing mutation project data. These options are:
• The JHU report settings. See “JHU report settings” below.
• The JHU report context menu. See “JHU report context menu” on page 188.

JHU report settings

To open the JHU Report Settings dialog box, click the Report Settings button on the
JHU report toolbar.
Figure 7-4: JHU Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Homozygous Dropping Indicates the value for the dropping factor at which a mutation is
Threshold identified as either a homozygous substitution or a heterozygous
substitution. For example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because
Mutation Surveyor evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise
below a major peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous
substitution. This value assists in your analysis by converting these calls
to homozygous substitutions.
Note: You can increase this value to view the exact call that Mutation
Surveyor made, but an increased value might result in some
calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
Phred Score Threshold Call a mutation only if the Phred score for the variant base or bases is
greater than the indicated threshold.
ROI Boundaries Affects the values that are output to the Start (ROI) and End (ROI)
column for traces that do not have complete coverage of the Region of
Interest. For example, an ROI is set for positions 50 to 150 (Expected
value). The sample trace's comparison region is positions 100 to 200.
Only positions 100 to 150 of the ROI are within the comparison region
(Actual value) whereas positions 50-99 are not covered.
Output Confidence Displays a Confidence mark (!) for mutation calls that exceed certain
Mark for JHU thresholds that are defined in the MutationSurveyor.ini file.
Note: Although you can modify these thresholds, SoftGenetics does
not recommend that you do so on your own. Contact
SoftGenetics for assistance.

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JHU report context menu

A context menu is available for the JHU report. You use the options on this menu to change
the view of the JHU report and to manipulate and analyze mutation project data so that you
identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context menu, right-click
anywhere in the JHU report.
Figure 7-5: JHU report context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the JHU report as an image. Press and hold
the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the left
mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image
that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black.
Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your clipboard.
Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands to
paste the copied image into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations to select all
mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the JHU report and the
Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is displayed in
the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
Sort By Score Click the appropriate option to sort all the data by descending mutation
(Descending) score or ascending mutation score.
Sort by Score
(Ascending)

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Option Description
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations, to select all
mutations in a column, or to select multiple rows.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the JHU report and the
Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Deleted>> is displayed in
the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Note: To undo the last deletion that you carried out, click the Undo

Latest Deletions button on the report toolbar.

Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.

You can also view the information for a mutation in the JHU report in the GAD. To open the
GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

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Tassel report
The Tassel report is ideal for identifying mutations in your sample traces if your traces are
grouped by Sample ID (see “Sample ID” on page 168) or if all the filenames in your project
contain the same characters/designator but in different positions. After you click Tassel
Report on the Customer Reports menu, the Tassel Report Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 7-6: Tassel Report Settings dialog box

1. Do one of the following:

• If all the filenames in your project contain the same character string/designator in the
same positions, then select From Character [ ] To Character [ ] and enter the starting
and ending character positions of the characters/designator.
• If all the filenames in your project contain the same character string /designator but
in different positions, then select Typical Block and enter the character string/
designator.
2. Click OK.
The Tassel report is generated.
Figure 7-7: Tassel report

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The layout of the Tassel report is somewhat similar to the layout of the Two Direction Output
report. (See “Two Direction report layout” on page 134.) The similarities between the Tassel
report and any of the other standard reports, however, ends there. In the Tassel report:
• Cells showing a novel variant that results in a change to the amino acid sequence are
displayed in pink.
• Cells showing a reported variant that results in a change to the amino acid sequence are
displayed in lime green.
• A lowercase letter indicates a 1D mutation, while an uppercase letter indicates a 2D
mutation.
• If a mutation is a substitution, then the standard IUPAC code for the variant base or bases
is displayed for the mutation.
• If a mutation is a deletion, then a zero (0) is displayed for the mutation.
You can also view the information for a mutation in the Tassel report in the GAD. To open
the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

Tassel report toolbar

The Tassel report toolbar contains just two buttons for working with the report.
Figure 7-8: Tassel report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Note: You can also copy the Tassel report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx,.xml, or .htm).

Tassel report viewing and analysis options

Although the Tassel report does not have a context menu, you can still copy the report as an

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image. You can also view the information for a mutation in the report in the GAD.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.
• To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the
report.

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Emory report
The layout of the Emory report is very similar to the layout of the Two Direction report. (See
“Two Direction report layout” on page 134.) The mutation codes and the color coding of the
mutation calls in the report are identical to the mutation codes and color coding in the
Mutation report (See “Mutation report codes” on page 129 and “Color codes” on page 130.)
The Emory report, however, displays only the quality score and the number of mutations for
each sample.
Figure 7-9: Emory report

Emory report toolbar

The Emory report toolbar contains just two buttons for working with the report and an option
to control the display while scrolling the report.
Figure 7-10: Emory report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Lock Sample File in Freezes the Sample Filename column while scrolling.
View

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Emory report viewing and analysis options

A context menu is available for the Emory report. You use the options on this menu to
change the view of the Emory report and to manipulate and analyze mutation project data so
that you identify the true mutations in a mutation project. To open the context menu, right-
click anywhere in the Emory report.
Figure 7-11: Emory report context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the Emory report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the Emory report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.

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Option Description
Sort By Score Click the appropriate option to sort all the data by descending mutation
(Descending) score or ascending mutation score.
Sort by Score
(Ascending)
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations, to select all
mutations in a column, or to select multiple rows.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the Emory report and
the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Deleted>> is displayed
in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in the GAD.
Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Lane Deletion The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.
Undo Undo the last edit action that was carried out for the mutation.
View Edit History See “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.
Hyperlink to NCBI’s Opens the NCBI’s database entry (via the web) for the variant.
dbSNP

You can also view the information for a mutation in the Emory report in the GAD. To open
the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

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Bentley report and MSM_Song report

The Bentley and MSM_Song reports are useful when carrying out analyses of diploid
samples. Both reports show the genomic position of the mutation, the genotype, and the
frequency of each allele by traces and as a grand total.

For a detailed explanation of allele frequency by trace and grand total allele
frequency, see “Show Allele Information” on page 169.

The layout of the reports is very similar to the layout of the Two Direction Output report.
(See “Two Direction report layout” on page 134.) Both of the reports contain the same fields
that are displayed in any of the standard mutation reports. There are few minor difference
between the Bentley report and the MSM_Song report:
• By default, the MSM_Song report displays the entire sequence of the GenBank file in the
top row of the report. The Bentley does not.
• In both reports, the mutation call is split between two columns, with the first column
displaying a summary for a specific position and the second column displaying the
genotype for each sample file. The format, however, for these two columns differs
slightly between the reports.
Figure 7-12: Bentley report

Figure 7-13: MSM_Song report

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Bentley/MSM_Song report toolbar

The Bentley toolbar and the MSM_Song toolbar contain the same buttons that are specific
for working with the reports and for changing the information that is displayed in the reports.
Figure 7-14: Bentley/MSM_Song report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Note: You can also right-click and select Copy to copy the selected
text to your clipboard.
Note: You can also copy both output reports as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Report Settings—Opens the Report Settings dialog box which contains

options for filtering the information that is to be displayed in the report.
See “Bentley/MSM_Song report settings” on page 198.

Bentley/MSM_Song reports viewing and analysis options

The Bentley and MSM_Song reports have several options available for changing the view of
the reports and for manipulating and analyzing mutation project data. These options are:
• The Bentley/MSM_Song report settings. See “Bentley/MSM_Song report settings” on
page 198.
• The Bentley/MSM_Song report context menu. See “Bentley/MSM_Song reports context
menu” on page 198.

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Bentley/MSM_Song report settings

Figure 7-15: Bentley/MSM_Song Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Display Parameters
• Lane Number—Selected by default. Clear this option if you do not
want the Lane Number to be displayed in the report.
• Well Position—Selected by default. Clear this option if you do not
want the Well Position to be displayed in the report.
• Mut#—Selected by default. Clear this option if you do not want the
mutation number to be displayed in the report.
• Sequence of GenBank File
• Not selected by default for the Bentley Output report—Select this
option if you want the entire sequence of the GenBank file to be
displayed in the top row of the report.
• Selected by default for the MSM_Song Output report—Clear this
option if you do not want the entire sequence of the GenBank file
to be displayed in the top row of the report.
Mutation Filter
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only

Bentley/MSM_Song reports context menu

Although the Bentley and MSM_Song reports do not have a full context menu, you can still
copy text from each report, or copy each report as an image. You can also view the
information for a mutation in the reports in the GAD.
• Select the text that you want to copy or to copy text in a range of cells, click and hold the
left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the region that you want to copy.
Right-click and select Copy to copy the selected text to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image into an application.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then

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click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.
• To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the
report.

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PrettyBase report
The PrettyBase format was developed by the SeattleSNPs project for easily representing
SNP information for groups of subjects over a given span of reference sequence. The report
displays the following information (in order from left to right)—SNP Position, Sample
Name, Normal Allele, Allele 1, Allele 2, IUPAC code for the mutation call, Mutation Call,
Comments, Phred Score, and NM_Score.
Figure 7-16: PrettyBase report

PrettyBase report toolbar

The PrettyBase report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the report
and for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 7-17: PrettyBase report toolbar

Button Description
Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy
text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).

Report Settings—Opens the PrettyBase Report Settings dialog box

which contains options for filtering the information that is to be displayed
in the report. See “PrettyBase report settings” on page 201.

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PrettyBase report viewing and analysis options

The PrettyBase report has multiple options available for changing the view of the report and
for manipulating and analyzing mutation project data. These options are:
• The PrettyBase report settings. See “PrettyBase report settings” below.
• The PrettyBase report context menu. See “PrettyBase report context menu” on page 202.

PrettyBase report settings

To open the PrettyBase Report Settings dialog box, click the Report Settings button on
the PrettyBase report toolbar.
Figure 7-18: PrettyBase Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Display
Mutations Only • Mutations Only—Selected by default. Show only all called mutations
• Mutations and Negative Mutations—Select this option to show all
called mutations and negative mutations.
• All Positions (in ROI)—Select this option to show all nucleotide
positions within defined ROIs.
Mutation Filter
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only

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Option Description
• Display Homozygous Mutations—Selected by default. Clear this
option if you do not want to show homozygous mutations in the
report.
• Display Heterozygous Mutations—Selected by default. Clear this
option if you do not want to show heterozygous mutations in the
report.
• Display Hom/Het Indels—Selected by default. Clear this option if you
do not want to show homozygous and heterozygous indels in the
report.
Output
• Phred Score
• NM_Score
• Normal Allele
• Mutation Call
All four of these columns are displayed by default in the PrettyBase
Output report. Clear any or all options that you do want to be displayed
in the report.
Note: For information about the NM_Score, see “NM_Score” on page
174.

PrettyBase report context menu

Although the PrettyBase report does not have a full context menu, you can still copy text
from the report, or copy the report as an image. You can also view the information for a
mutation in the report in the GAD.
• Select the text that you want to copy or to copy text in a range of cells, click and hold the
left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the region that you want to copy.
Right-click and select Copy to copy the selected text to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image into an application.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.
• To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the
report.

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Methylation report
How Mutation Surveyor calls mutations for methylated DNA assumes 100% conversion of
the non-methylated cytosines to uracil during bisulfite treatment. The evaluation of the
methylation level in CpG islands as well as the level of incomplete conversion of
unmethylated cytosines, however, is critical for ensuring that your methylation project has
the necessary high quality data that is required for accurate mutation calls. The Methylation
report displays information for methylation detection projects. The report distinguishes
between cytosines that are contained in CpG islands and cystosines that are contained in
other sequences. The report also displays a Conversion ratio, which is the ratio of the number
of samples that were successfully converted at a given position to the total number of
samples with the position. A Conversion Ratio of 100% indicates that the conversion was
successful for all samples at the given position.
Figure 7-19: Methylation report

Code Description
Cystosines contained in • M—Methylated
CpG islands • U—Non-methylated
Cystosines contained in • S—Successful conversion of cytosine (C) to thymine (T)
other sequences • I—Incomplete conversion

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Methylation report toolbar

The Methylation report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with the report
and for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 7-20: Methylation report toolbar

Button Description
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as a tab-delimited .txt
file.

Copy—Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy

text in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into
an application.
Report Settings—Opens the Methylation Report Settings dialog box
which contains options for filtering the information that is to be displayed
in the report.
Figure 7-21: Methylation Report Settings dialog box

• Homozgyous Dropping Threshold—Indicates the value for the

dropping factor at which a mutation is identified as either a
homozygous substitution or a heterozygous substitution. For
example, is a mutation A>C or A>AC? Because Mutation Surveyor
evaluates the traces rather than the base calls, noise below a major
peak can sometimes be interpreted as a heterozygous substitution.
This value assists in your analysis by converting these calls to
homozygous substitutions.
Note: You can increase this value to view the exact call that Mutation
Surveyor made, but an increased value might result in some
calls remaining as heterozygous substitutions.
• Mutation Dropping Threshold—The dropping threshold must be
greater than or equal to the specified value for the variant to be called
a mutation. See “Dropping Factor” on page 60.
Graphic Display—Opens the Graphic Display of Methylation report. See
“Graphic Display of Methylation report” on page 205.

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Graphic Display of Methylation report

The Graphic Display of Methylation report graphically shows the pattern of methylated and
non-methylated cystosines along the DNA fragments used for analysis. By default, when the
report first opens, only cytosines that are part of a CpG island are indicated in the report. Red
tick marks indicate methylated sites. Dark blue tick marks indicate non-methylated sites. The
Methylation Ratio graph represents the percentage of samples that are methylated at the
indicated position in a CpG island. The Conversion Ratio graph represents the percentage of
samples that were converted at the indicated position outside of a CpG island.
Figure 7-22: Graphic Display of Methylation report

The report is interactive:

• To view the cytosines that are contained in other sequences, click Display S/I. Light blue
tick marks indicate successful conversion of cytosine (C) to uracil (U). Gray tick marks
indicate incomplete conversion.
• To zoom in on a selected region, click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from
the upper left hand corner of the region towards the lower right hand corner of the region.
A box is formed around the area that is being reduced for viewing.
• To zoom out from any region, click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box from
the lower right hand corner of the region towards the upper left hand corner of the region.
The magnification for zooming out is always 100%.
• If your mutation project used multiple GenBank files, then select one of these files from
the Select GenBank file to view the display for the file and the sample files that align to it.
• By default, the filenames for all the files (GenBank, reference files, and sample files) are

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displayed on the report. To remove the filenames from the report display, clear the Show
Filenames option.

Methylation report context menu

Although the Methylation report does not have a full context menu, you can still copy text
from the report, or copy the report as an image. You can also view the information for a
mutation in the report in the GAD.
• Select the text that you want to copy or to copy text in a range of cells, click and hold the
left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the region that you want to copy.
Right-click and select Copy to copy the selected text to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image into an application.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.
• To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the
report.

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Vertex report
The Vertex report displays mutations in all the sample sequences for a selected contig. By
default, the mutations are shown as the 1 Letter IUPAC representation of the normal amino
acid that is affected by the mutation and the resulting amino acid. Also by default, the entire
sequence of the GenBank file is displayed at the top of the report.
Figure 7-23: Vertex report

The report is interactive:

• To view the amino acid sequences for the sample traces in a different contig, select the
contig from the Select Contig list.
• To display the 3 Letter IUPAC representation for the amino acids, select Three Letter.
• To toggle between the amino acids and the called bases for the mutation, clear/select
Show Amino Acid. (Like the amino acid codes, the called bases are represented by their
IUPAC codes.)
• To zoom in on a selected region of the GenBank file, click and hold the left mouse button
and draw a box from the upper left hand corner of the region towards the lower right hand
corner of the region. A box is formed around the area that is being reduced for viewing.
• To zoom out from the GenBank file, click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box
from the lower right hand corner of the sequence towards the upper left hand corner of the
sequence. The magnification for zooming out is always 100%.
• To save the report as an .xls/.xlsx or .txt file, click the Save Report icon on the report
toolbar. A Save Report As dialog box opens in which you can specify the name, format
and location for the saved report. (The .txt format is available only when saving the
nucleotide sequence for the report. The .xls/.xlsx format is available only when saving the
amino acid sequence for the report.)
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to

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copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.

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Vertex2 report
You use the Vertex2 report to assemble variations from multiple sequences or samples within
one or multiple projects. The Vertex2 report is especially useful for analyzing hypervariable
sequences. After you click Vertex2 Report on the Customer Reports menu, the Vertex Report
Settings dialog box opens. You can leave the default values as is, or you can modify any of
the values as needed, and then click OK to generate the report.
Figure 7-24: Vertex Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Sample Grouping—Determines how traces are to be grouped in the report.
• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—Select this option if all the
filenames in your project contain the same character string/
designator in the same positions.
• From File—Select this option if traces that are to be grouped together
contain a common Sample ID in their filenames. (The Sample IDs do
not need to be in the same location in the filename.) After you click
From File, click Load Sample ID to open the Load Sample ID dialog
box and specify the different Sample IDs, such as Patient #, by which
to group the traces. You can also click Open in the Load Sample ID
dialog box to load an existing Sample ID text file.
Note: By default, the Load Sample ID dialog box contains rows for up
to ten different Sample IDs. You can right-click and click Insert
or Delete as needed.
Figure 7-25: Load Sample ID dialog box

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Option Description
Mutation Output Settings
Heterozygous Call From A mutation call with a dropping factor that falls within the specified range
[ ] To [ ] is classified as a heterozygous mutation call. It is classified as a
homozygous normal allele if its dropping factor falls below the lower
threshold and as a homozygous mutation if its dropping factor exceeds
the upper threshold.
Output Confirmed Display only manually confirmed mutations in the report.
Mutations Only
Output Comments Display automatically added and manually added comments in the
report.
Sequence Settings
• Show Amino Acid—Show the 1 Letter IUPAC representation of the
normal amino acid that is affected by the mutation and the resulting
amino acid.
• Show Nucleotide—Show the IUPAC codes for the called bases for
the mutation.
• Three Letters—Available only if Show Amino Acid is selected. Show
the 3 Letter representation of the normal amino acid that is affected
by the mutation and the resulting amino acid.
• Output Nucleotide Change—Display only those traces with called
mutations in the report.
• Output Amino Acid Change Only—Display only those traces with
called mutations in the report, and for these traces, display the 1
Letter or 3 Letter IUPAC representation of the normal amino acid that
is affected by the mutation and the resulting amino acid.
• Output Consensus Sequence—Display the consensus sequence for
all sample traces in the report.
• Output Sample Sequences—Display the sequence for each
individual sample trace in the report.

Figure 7-26: Vertex2 report

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Vertex2 report toolbar

The Vertex2 report toolbar contains just two buttons for working with the report.
Figure 7-27: Vertex2 report toolbar

Button Description
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.xls/.xlsx or .txt).

Report Settings—Opens the Vertex2 Report Settings dialog box which

contains options for grouping and filtering the information that is to be
displayed in the report. See “Vertex2 report” on page 209.

Vertex2 report viewing and analysis options

Although the Vertex2 report does not have a context menu, you can copy the report as an
image. You can also view the information for a mutation in the report in the GAD.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.
• To open the GAD for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the
report.

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Vertex3 report
Like the Vertex2 report, you can use the Vertex3 report to assemble variations from multiple
sequences or samples within one or multiple projects. After you click Vertex3 Report on the
Customer Reports menu, the Vertex3 Report Settings dialog box opens. You can leave the
default values as they are, or you can modify any of the values as needed, and then click OK
to generate the report.
Figure 7-28: Vertex Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Sample Grouping—Determines how traces are to be grouped in the report.
• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—Select this option if all the
filenames in your project contain the same character string/
designator in the same positions.
• From File—Select this option if traces that are to be grouped together
contain a common Sample ID in their filenames. (The Sample IDs do
not need to be in the same location in the filename.) After you click
From File, click Load Sample ID to open the Load Sample ID dialog
box and specify the different Sample IDs, such as Patient #, by which
to group the traces. You can also click Open in the Load Sample ID
dialog box to load an existing Sample ID text file.
Note: By default, the Load Sample ID dialog box contains rows for up
to ten different Sample IDs. You can right-click and click Insert
or Delete as needed.
Figure 7-29: Load Sample ID dialog box

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Option Description
Mutation Output Settings
Heterozygous Call From A mutation call with a dropping factor that falls within the specified range
[ ] To [ ] is classified as a heterozygous mutation call. It is classified as a
homozygous normal allele if its dropping factor falls below the lower
threshold and as a homozygous mutation if its dropping factor exceeds
the upper threshold.
Output Confirmed Display only manually confirmed mutations in the report.
Mutations Only

Vertex3 report layout

The Vertex3 report is organized by Clone (Sample) ID and contains three sections for each
Sample ID.

Section Description
Nucleotide Sequences Displays the reference nucleotide sequence for the samples and
the consensus nucleotide sequence for the samples.
Nucleotide Changes Displays a list of each location that contains a variation between
the reference nucleotide and the sample nucleotide, the
reference nucleotide at the location, the sample nucleotide at
the location and a column denoting whether the variant is
synonymous (S) or non-synonymous (N).
Amino Acid Displays the codon number, the reference amino acid and the
consensus amino acid for each non-synonymous variation.

Figure 7-30: Vertex3 report

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Vertex3 report toolbar

The Vertex3 Report toolbar contains a single button on the toolbar—the Save Report button
. Click this button to open a Save Report As dialog box in which you can specify the
name and location for saving the report as a .txt file.

Vertex3 report viewing and analysis options

Although the Vertex3 report does not have a full context menu, you can still copy text from
the report, or copy the report as an image.
• Select the text that you want to copy or to copy text in a range of cells, click and hold the
left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the region that you want to copy.
Right-click and select Copy to copy the selected text to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image into an application.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.

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Full Gene report

Of all the Customer reports, the Full Gene report is the most customizable report. It has
options for:
• Organizing sample traces into groups based on matching filenames and then further sort
the sample traces within the groups based on specific character positions in the filenames.
• Custom color-coding to assist you with identifying different types of mutation calls and
potential analysis problems.
• Creating and displaying a custom header above each group of sample traces.
After you click Full Gene Report on the Customer Reports menu, the Full Gene Report
Settings dialog box opens. You can leave the default values as they are, or you can modify
any of the values as needed, and then click OK to generate the report. See:
• “Full Gene Report Settings dialog box, Format tab.”
• “Full Gene Report Settings, Header tab” on page 217.
• “Full Gene Report Settings, Output tab” on page 217.
Figure 7-31: Full Gene report

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Full Gene Report Settings dialog box, Format tab

Figure 7-32: Full Gene Report Settings dialog box, Format tab

Option Description
Sample Grouping
n-Primer (n-D) Text Select this option if you have defined primers when using a GenBank
input reference file to group sample files in forward and reverse pairs.
Filename match • From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—Select this option if all the
filenames in your project contain the same character string/
designator in the same positions.
• Typical Block—If all the filenames in your project contain the same
character string /designators but in different positions, then select this
option and enter the character string/designator.
Sort By From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—Select this option to further sort
sample traces within a group based on specific character positions in
the filenames.
Background Color-Coding
Accept the default colors for the different types of mutations, or modify them as you want.
• Mutation position specific for column—Aligns mutations by column
within each group.
• Display Mutation Number—Display the number of mutations found in
the sample trace.

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Full Gene Report Settings, Header tab

The Header tab opens after you click Next on the Format tab.
Figure 7-33: Full Gene Settings dialog box, Header information

Full Gene Report Settings, Output tab

The Output tab opens after you click Next on the Header tab.
Figure 7-34: Full Gene Report Settings dialog box, Mutation Score and Output options

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Option Description
Mutation Scores
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction has No falls within the comparison region of the other direction.
Call
Reject 1D Calls When Reject a mutation that is called in only one direction when the position
Other Direction is Not falls outside the comparison region of the other direction.
Available
Reject Synonymous Coding region substitutions that do not affect amino acid calls are not
Mutations displayed in the report.
Note: An “n.a.” is displayed in the Mutation cell for rejected mutations instead of the mutation
code.
Display Mutations with Display only nonsense mutations and indels in the report.
the “Stop” Codon or
Indel Only
Display Confirmed Display only those mutations that you have manually confirmed in the
Mutations Only report.
Display Mosaic Display mosaic mutations in the report.
Mutations
Mutation Output Format
Display Mutation As Select one option to set the format of the mutation code in the report.
• 123T>CT (Default value)
• 123CT
Number Bases Relative • If this option is cleared, the numbering is the genomic position within
to cDNA the GenBank file.
• If this option is selected:
• Select CDS to number the bases relative to the CDS numbering in
the GenBank reference file.
• Select mRNA to number the bases relative the mRNA numbering
in the GenBank reference file.

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Figure 7-35: Full Gene report

Full Gene report toolbar

The Full Gene report toolbar contains just two buttons for working with the report.
Figure 7-36: Full Gene report toolbar

Button Description
Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.xls/.xlsx, .xls/.xlsx (Excel sample in different sheet) or .txt).

Report Settings—Opens the Full Gene Report Settings dialog box which
contains options for grouping and filtering the information that is to be
displayed in the report.
Note: The Sample Grouping options are not available on the Format
tab when you open the Full Gene Report Settings dialog box
from the report toolbar. This prevents you from changing the
report format after you have added custom text. To change the
report format, close and then re-open the report. See “Full Gene
Report Settings dialog box, Format tab,” “Full Gene Report
Settings, Header tab,” and “Full Gene Report Settings, Output
tab.”

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Full Gene viewing and analysis options

A context menu that contains options for changing the view of the Full Gene report and for
manipulating and analyzing mutation project data. To open the context menu, right-click
anywhere in the Full Gene report.
Figure 7-37: Full Gene report context menu

Option Description
Confirm Confirms the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
The text for the mutation code turns black in both the Full Gene report
and the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Checked>> is
displayed in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in
the GAD.
Undo Confirmation Removes the “Confirmed” status for the mutation.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations or to select
all mutations in a column.
Delete Mutations Deletes the selected mutations.
Note: SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous mutations, to select all
mutations in a column, or to select multiple rows.
The text for the mutation code turns gray in both the Full Gene report
and the Mutation table in the GAD. The comment <<Deleted>> is
displayed in the Actions field for the mutation call in the Mutation table in
the GAD.
Delete Lane Deletes all the mutations for a selected sample in a single step. The
Lane Quality for a deleted lane is set to “Low Quality.”
Undo Lane Deletion The Lane Quality for the lane is reset to its original value.

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Option Description
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a
range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse
to select the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an
application.
Note: You can also copy the Full Gene report as an image. Press and
hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then click and hold the
left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the
image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with
black. Right-click and select Copy to copy the image to your
clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu
commands to paste the copied image into an application.
Paste Pastes copied text into an editable field (Date, Batch Run/ID or/or Result
fields).

The Full Gene report is interactive.

• You can double click in the Date, Batch Run/ID or/or Result fields and enter any text as
needed.
• You can also view information for a mutation in the report in the GAD. To open the GAD
for the trace that contains a mutation, double-click the mutation in the report.

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FullBase report
The FullBase report shows the forward and reverse consensus sequences for each base
within specified ROIs. Amplicon IDs must be defined in GenBank or SEQ reference files
and these IDs must be present in all the respective sample filenames. The Full Base report
groups replicated positions into a single cell. After you click FullBase Report on the
Customer Reports menu, the FullBase Report Settings dialog box opens. You can leave the
default values as they are, or you can modify any of the values as needed, and then click OK
to generate the report.

You use GenBank File Editors to define Amplicon IDs. See Chapter 8, “GenBank
File Editors,” on page 225 for information about defining Amplicon IDs.

Figure 7-38: FullBase Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Amplicon ID from Displays the starting and ending positions of the amplicon-specific
Character [ ] To starting designator in your reference filenames.
Character [ ]
Sample ID from Enter the starting and ending positions for the range in your sample
Character to [ ] To filenames that contain the amplicon-specific designator.
Character [ ]
Expected Number of The expected total number of traces (forward and reverse) to pass the
Reads per Group discrepancy check for a group of sample files.
Note: More traces can be in the consensus without being highlighted
with a yellow background.
Analyst 1 Optional information to further clarify your analysis setup.
Analyst 2 Optional information to further clarify your analysis setup.
Reviewer Optional information to further clarify your analysis setup.

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FullBase report layout

Mutation calls are displayed in cells where a variation has been identified with the font color
indicating the call confidence. Forward and reverse samples traces are paired next to each
other with alternating colors of light tan and light blue differentiating the sample pairs.
Positions that do not have enough samples for determining mutation calls are highlighted in
yellow. Discrepancies (identifies the variants within a consensus of traces that have at least
one member of the consensus that differs from the others) are also highlighted in yellow. The
Comments field is a free text field for entering additional information about your project.
Figure 7-39: Full Base report

FullBase report toolbar

The FullBase Report toolbar contains a single button on the toolbar—the Save Report button
. Click this button to open a Save As dialog box in which you can specify the name and
location for saving the report as an .xls/.xlsx or .txt file.

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FullBase viewing and analysis options

Although the FullBase report does not have a full context menu, you can still copy text from
the report, or copy the report as an image, and you can paste copied text into the editable
Comments field. You can also view the information for a mutation in the Full Base report in
the GAD.
• Select the text that you want to copy or to copy text in a range of cells, click and hold the
left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the region that you want to copy.
Right-click and select Copy to copy the selected text to your clipboard. Use standard
keyboard commands or menu commands to paste the copied image into an application, or
use the Paste command on the Context menu to paste copied text into the editable
Comments field.
• To copy the report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the [Ctrl] key and then
click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region of the image that
you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click and select Copy to
copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands
to paste the copied image into an application.
• Because the FullBase report shows every position and not just mutations, double-click a
cell in the report to open the relevant position in the first trace of the consensus.

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GenBank File Editors
Mutation Surveyor provides many tools for optimizing input data and analyzing results. This
chapter details the three tools that are specifically designed for editing GenBank files and
Sequence files—the GBK File Editor, the Advanced GenBank Editor, and the SEQ File
Editor. You use all these tools to view, add, and edit CDS information in multi-exon
GenBank files, which are essential functions for creating and using GenBank-derived
reference traces.

Although Mutation Surveyor provides many tools for optimizing input data and
analyzing results, the GenBank Editor tools are the most commonly used of all the
tools and that is why they are afforded their own chapter. Other Mutation
Surveyor tools are discussed in appropriate chapters, including Chapter 9,
“Mutation Surveyor Tools,” on page 253.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• “Overview of GenBank Files” on page 227.
• “Advanced GBK File Editor Tool” on page 231.
• “SEQ File Editor Tool” on page 246.

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Overview of GenBank Files

The GenBank sequence database is an open access, annotated collection of all publicly
available nucleotide sequences and their protein translations. This database is produced at
the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as part of the International
Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration, or INSDC. A GenBank file is a text-based file
that shows the amino acid translation that corresponds to the base coding sequence (CDS). A
GenBank file is always an optional file for a Mutation Surveyor project. If you do use a
GenBank file as a reference file for Mutation Surveyor project, then the file must be in one of
two formats—.gbk or .gb, which represents the sequence text of multiple CDSs or .seq,
which represents the sequence text of a single CDS. All three file formats contain the same
information and have similar conventions.
• A comment line is preceded with the greater than (>) symbol or a forward slash (/) and it
contains the following information—the gene name, the CDS number, the reading frame
number of the starting CDS base, the starting base number, the coding sequence (CDS),
the starting amino acid number, the starting and ending vector sequences, the translation
protein sequence from the CDS, and the DNA variations. Any text in a comment line is
not read into the DNA sequence.
• The coding sequence is in uppercase. All other sequences are in lowercase.

Mutation Surveyor is designed to work with GenBank files that are obtained solely
from NCBI. You should not use GenBank files that are obtained from other
sources. See “To download a GenBank file.”

To download a GenBank file

1. Open the NCBI’s website (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).
2. On the Search dropdown menu, select Gene.
3. In the search field, enter the official name or symbol for your gene of interest, and then
click Search.
A list of all organisms that contain the specified gene is displayed.
Figure 8-1: Searching for a gene (NCBI)

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Figure 8-2: Gene search results

4. Scroll to the Genomics region section in the search results and select the correct
assembly for your project.
Figure 8-3: Assembly options in the Gene report

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5. Download the selected assembly. Note the following about the different assemblies:

Assembly Description
NG Accession • The RefSeq.
• Most RefSeq GenBank files contain only a single transcript.
• NG Accession can show dbSNP.
• Nucleotide positions do not relate to chromosome coordinates.
• Click the GenBank link to download your selected NG Accession.
See Figure 8-4 below.
NC Accession • NC accessions often contain several transcripts.
• NC accessions do not have dbSNP.
• Nucleotide positions are chromosome coordinates.
• Click the GenBank link to download your selected NC Accession.
See Figure 8-5 below.
NT Accession • NT Accessions often contain several transcripts
• Nucleotide positions can be translated to chromosome coordinates.
• Available for download through Mutation Surveyor

Figure 8-4: NG Accession selected

Figure 8-5: NC Accession selected

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6. Optionally, before you download and save the GenBank file, do one or more of the
following:
• To include additional upstream and/or downstream sequences (for example, to
include promoter regions), under Change Region Shown, click Selected Region,
enter the new starting and ending base numbers, and then click Update View.
• To include SNPs for an NG Accession, open the Customize View menu, and under
Features added by NCBI, select the [ ] SNPs option, and then click Update View.
• To change the view of the GenBank file for a gene that is on the minus strand, open
the Customize View menu, and under Display Options, deselect Show Reverse
Complement, and then click Update View.
Figure 8-6: Optional actions for a GenBank file

7. To save the GenBank file, open the Send menu, and then do the following.
a. Select Complete Record.
b. For Choose Destination, select File.
c. For Format, select GenBank.
d. Click Create File.
A File Download dialog box opens with options to Open or Save the selected GenBank
file.
8. Save the file in a location of your choosing.
You can now use the Advanced GBK Editor to view, edit, and annotate this GenBank file
and you can also use the Advanced GBK Editor to save the file as a SEQ file. See
“Advanced GBK File Editor Tool” on page 231.

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Advanced GBK File Editor Tool

You use the Advanced GBK Editor tool to view, edit, or annotate a GenBank file. If the
GenBank file contains multiple protein and mRNA isoforms, the Advanced GBK File Editor
tool displays all the proteins in the file and it displays the corresponding mRNA information
for each isoform. You can also use the Advanced GenBank File Editor tool to add, view, or
edit custom tags and identifiers to the reported variations in the file.

You can use the Advanced GBK File Editor tool to load and annotate .gb files,
SEQ (.seq) files, trace files (.scf, .ab1, and .abi) and text (.txt) files as well as .gbk
files.

To load a GenBank file into the Advanced GBK File Editor tool
1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Advanced GBK File Editor.
2. On the Advanced GBK File Editor window main menu, click File > Open and in the
Open File dialog box, select the appropriate file, and then click Open.
The file is loaded into the Advanced GBK File Editor. The Advanced GBK File Editor
window has a toolbar with buttons that are specific for buttons for working with the
loaded file and it has two panes—the GenBank Tree File pane and the Tabs pane. When
the window first opens, the Sequence tab is the active tab in the Tabs pane.
Figure 8-7: Advanced GBK File Editor window

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Advanced GBK File Editor tool toolbar

Figure 8-8: Advanced GBK File Editor tool toolbar

Button Description
New—Clears the currently loaded GBK file and readies the editor to
accept a new file.

Open Files—Opens the Open Files dialog box which you use to load
GenBank files or other files into the editor.

Save All CDSs and all mRNAs—Saves all the CDSs and mRNAs for the
loaded GenBank file in a single file.

Refresh—Updates the display in the Advanced GBK File Editor window

after you make a modification to the loaded GenBank file.

Search in Sequence—Opens the Search in Sequence dialog box in

which you can specify a nucleotide sequence for which to search. See
“Advanced GBK File Editor tool functions” on page 243.
Adjust —Opens the Adjust File dialog box which you can specify the
Sequence Start for the selected isoform. See “Advanced GBK File
Editor tool functions” on page 243.
Search in Database—Opens the Search in Database dialog box which
provides an option for accessing a SoftGenetics server and
downloading a GenBank file. See “Advanced GBK File Editor tool
functions” on page 243.

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Advanced GBK File Editor tool GenBank Tree File pane

The left pane in the Advanced GBK File Editor window is the GenBank Tree File pane. This
pane displays all the GBK file information (protein and mRNA) in a simple tree format.
Click the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols to expand and collapse the tree structure,
respectively.
Figure 8-9: Advanced GBK File Editor GenBank Tree File pane

The GenBank Tree File is interactive:

• Click an isoform in the tree structure to select it. The selected protein is marked with a
green checkmark in the pane. Mutation Surveyor automatically selects the corresponding
mRNA region for the CDS and marks it with a yellow checkmark.

The nucleotide sequence is the same for all isoforms. Only the mRNA and CDS
locations change when you select a different isoform.

• Optionally, after you select an isoform, click File > Save As on the Advanced GBK File
Editor tool main menu, and then on the dialog box that opens, indicate what information
is to be saved:

Option Description
Selected Gene Region Saves all the transcripts (CDSs and mRNAs) for the gene to a new
GenBank file. You can specify the name of this new GenBank file, and
the location in which to save it.
Selected Gene Region; Saves only the transcript (CDS and mRNA) that is currently selected to
Selected mRNA Region a new GenBank file.You can specify the name of this new GenBank
file, and the location in which to save it.

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Option Description
Seq Files for Selected An individual SEQ file is created for each exon in the currently selected
CDS CDS. The default name for each SEQ file is
<GenBank filename>_exon_<n>.seq, where <n> reflects the exon
number, and the files are saved in the same folder as the loaded
GenBank file; for example. BRCA1_AmpID_exon_1.seq.

• Expand the Variations folder to view a list of all the recorded variations.
Figure 8-10: Expanded Variations folder

• Double-click a variation in the Variations list to open the Variation Settings dialog box.
The Variation Settings dialog box provides detailed information about the selected
variation, including its alleles and its position in the gene.
Figure 8-11: Variation Settings dialog box

Functions for modifying variations, adding new variations, and adding tags and
identifiers to variations are available from this dialog box. See “Modifying and
adding variations” on page 241.

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Advanced GBK File Editor tool Tabs pane

The Tabs pane is the right pane in the Advanced GBK File Editor window. The tabs that are
displayed in this pane depend on the item that is selected in the GenBank Tree File pane. If a
protein or mRNA is selected in the GenBank Tree File pane, then the tabs that are displayed
are the Basic Information tab and the Sequence tab. If a variation is selected in the GenBank
Tree File pane, then the tabs that are displayed are the Allele Frequency tab and the
Sequence tab. The Sequence tab is always the active tab when the Tabs pane first opens.
Figure 8-12: Advanced GBK File Editor window Sequence tab

Sequence tab
The Sequence tab provides a visual representation of the gene. The tab is divided into three
sections (upper, middle, and lower) that display different information for the gene.
• The upper section displays the Base Count, which is the total base count on a per
nucleotide basis, with each base having a different color-code. The upper section also
shows the Sequence Start, which typically has a value of one, but can be negative if
promoter regions are used. You can modify the value in the Sequence Start field, or you
can modify it using the Adjust option. (See “Advanced GBK File Editor tool functions”
on page 243.) You can also modify the values in the Amino Acid Start or the mRNA start
index fields. To view the amino acid translation for the nucleotides in the CDS, click
Amino Acids.
Figure 8-13: Amino acid translation for a CDS

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• The middle section is a view-only textual representation of the full nucleotide sequence
for the selected protein or mRNA region. Black lowercase letters indicate nucleotides in
a non-coding (intron or intragenic) region. Red uppercase letters indicate nucleotides in a
coding region (CDS). Green uppercase letters indicate nucleotides in an mRNA region.
Blue letters indicate reported variations. (The letters are uppercase or lowercase
depending on the region in which the variation occurs.) After you make a modification to
the loaded GenBank file and click Refresh, Mutation Surveyor updates the display
accordingly.
• The lower section is a color-coded bar chart that indicates different information about the
gene. mRNA regions are shown in green and CDS regions are shown in red. Reported
variations, including indels, are indicated by tick marks of different colors. The first row
of numbers indicates the starting genomic base position for a CDS and the second row of
numbers indicates the CDS. For example, in Figure 8-14 below, the 7th CDS has a
starting genomic base position of 34,399.
Figure 8-14: CDS and genomic position numbering

The Sequence tab is interactive:

• To move the display in the middle section to the sequence for a CDS, double-click the
CDS on the bar chart. Similarly, to move the display in the middle section to the sequence
for an mRNA region, double-click the mRNA region on the bar chart.

You must double-click exactly the green region or the red region on the bar chart.
If you click anywhere else on the bar chart, the display in the middle section does
not move.

• To zoom in on a CDS region or an mRNA region in the bar chart for easier viewing, hold
down the left mouse button and draw a box from the upper left hand corner of the region
towards the lower right hand corner. A box is formed around the area that is being reduced
for viewing.

You must make sure to include the entire CDS region or the mRNA region in the
box and you cannot extend the box’s upper boundary into the middle section.

• To zoom out, hold down the left mouse button and draw a box from the lower right hand
corner of the region towards the upper left hand corner. (The magnification for zooming
out is always 100%.)

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• To open a context menu that contains options for working with the sequence text display,
right-click anywhere in the sequence text display.
Figure 8-15: Sequence text display context menu

Option Description
Copy Copies selected text in the sequence text display to your clipboard. To
select text for copying, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the
mouse to select the text that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard
commands or menu commands to paste the copied text into an application.
Paste Pastes copied text into the sequence text display.
Find Opens the Search in Sequence dialog box. You use the options on this
dialog box to search for specific text in the sequence text display. (See
“Advanced GBK File Editor tool functions” on page 243.)

Basic Information tab

Mutation Surveyor pulls information directly from the loaded GenBank file and populates
the fields on the Basic Information tab with this information. The information that is
displayed on the tab depends on what option is selected in the GenBank Tree File pane—an
isoform or an mRNA region. (See Figure 8-18 on page 239.)
Figure 8-16: Advanced GBK File Editor, Basic Information tab for selected isoform

Field Description
CDS Lists the starting and ending base numbers for the first CDS, the second
CDS, and so on. Within a CDS, the starting and ending base numbers
are separated by two decimal points (..). CDSs are separated by
commas. You can manually edit the information in the CDS field.

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Field Description
Region of Interest/ List of the ROIs defined in the CDS. Within an ROI, the starting and
Amplicon Id ending base numbers are separated by two decimal points (..). ROIs are
separated by commas. Several options are available for adding and
editing ROIs.
• You can manually edit the information in the ROI Field.
• You can right-click in either the ROI or Amplicon ID field and select
View of Table of Values to open the Table of Values dialog box which
lists the ROIs and Amplicon IDs in table. You can modify the ROI
values directly in this table, and you can right-click in this dialog box
and select Insert Item to add new ROIs and Amplicon IDs.
Figure 8-17: Table of Values dialog box

Note: Amplicon ID is always an optional value; however, if your

samples overlap and you are using amplicons to construct
contigs, then to ensure proper alignment, the Amplicon ID
should be the same as the Amplicon ID that is used in your
sample filenames. (See “Use Amplicon to Construct Contig” on
page 57.)
• You can add ROIs that are based on the CDSs. See “Advanced GBK
File Editor tool functions” on page 243.
Note: Even if you modify the information for both the CDSs and the ROIs on this tab, your
project’s graphical output can be limited based on the options that you have selected for
Output Limits. See “Output Limits” on page 63.
External Primer Lists the starting and ending base numbers for the external/internal
Internal Primer primer 5’ end and then for the external/internal primer 3’ end. For each
end, the starting (From) and ending (To) base numbers are separated
by two decimal points (..). The primers are separated by commas.
Primer pairs are separated by semicolons.

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Field Description
• CodonStart Mutation Surveyor pulls the information in these fields directly from the
• product loaded GenBank file. Mutation Surveyor deduces the corresponding
mRNA region for each protein by inspecting the start and end positions
• protein_id
of each of the exons between the protein and the mRNA. Mutation
• note Surveyor deduces the amino acid translation relative to the nucleotides
• translation in the coding sequence.
• Corresponding_mRNA
_region
• transl_table

Figure 8-18: Advanced GBK File Editor, Basic Information tab with mRNA region selected
in GenBank Tree File pane

Field Description
Region Lists the starting and ending base numbers for the first mRNA region,
the second mRNA region, and so on. Within an mRNA region, the
starting and ending base number are separated by two decimal points
(..). mRNA regions are separated by commas. You can manually edit
the information in the Region field.
• transcipt_id Mutation Surveyor pulls the information in these fields directly from the
• product loaded GenBank file. Mutation Surveyor deduces the corresponding
protein for each mRNA region by inspecting the start and end positions
• note
of each of the exons between the protein and the mRNA.
• Corresponding_CDS_
region

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Allele Frequency tab

If a variation is selected in the GenBank Tree File pane, then the Tabs pane contains an
Allele Frequency tab instead of a Basic Information tab. This tab lists all the reported
variations in the GenBank file as well as any of the variations that you or other users have
added to the file.

The frequency information refers to allele frequency with regards to population

studies. Mutation Surveyor does not use this information and most SNPs in dbSNP
do not have this information populated.

Figure 8-19: Allele Frequency tab

To open a context menu that contains options for annotating the information in the
Frequency column adding a variation, deleting a variation, and copying a variation,
right-click anywhere in the Allele Frequency tab.
Figure 8-20: Allele Frequency tab context menu

Option Description
Modify Parameter Opens the Variation Setting dialog box in which you can modify the
selected variation. See “Modifying and adding variations” on page 241.
Add Variation Opens a blank Variation Setting dialog box in which you can add a new
variation to the loaded GenBank file. See “Modifying and adding variations”
on page 241.

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Option Description
Delete Deletes the selected variation line from the list of reported variations.
Note: You can also delete a variation by right-clicking the variation in the
GenBank Tree File pane, and then clicking Delete.
Copy Copies the selected text in the cell to your clipboard. To copy text in a range
of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select
the region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard commands or
menu commands to paste the copied text into an application.

Modifying and adding variations

You can use functions that are available for the Allele Settings box to modify the information
for a selected variation, add a variation to the loaded GenBank file, and add tags and
identifiers to the variations.
Figure 8-21: Variation Settings dialog box

• To modify any of the information in the Position field or Gene Name field, double-click
a displayed value to select it, and then modify the value.
• To modify the Identifier information for an existing tag, double-click the displayed value
to select it, and then modify the value. You can also select a different tag for the variation
on the Tag dropdown list.
• To add multiple tags for a variation, right-click anywhere in the db_xref pane, and on the
context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for a tag and identifier is added
to the pane.

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• To modify the information in the Allele Frequency area for a selected variation,
triple-click the allele that is being modified to select it, and then modify the allele as
needed.
Figure 8-22: Modifying a selected variation

Substitution

Insertion

Deletion

• To delete an allele from a variation, right-click in the Allele Frequency area, and on the
context menu that opens, click Delete Allele. Allele2 is deleted. Repeat this step to delete
Allele 1.
• To add a new variation:
i. Enter the Position and Gene Name for the variation.
ii. Right-click in the Allele Frequency area, and on the context menu that opens, click
Add Allele. Enter a value for Allele1. Repeat this step for Allele 2.
iii. In the db_xref pane, select a tag from the Tag dropdown list, and then enter a value
in the Identifier field. You can include both the tag and the identifier, or just one, or
none. You can also include multiple tags and/or identifiers.
After you have made modifications to an existing variation, or added the values for a new
variation, click OK to save your edits.

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Advanced GBK File Editor tool functions

The Advanced GBK File Editor tool contains a variety of functions for working with the
loaded GenBank file. You can:
• Search the loaded GenBank file for a specific sequence. See “To search the loaded
GenBank file for a specific sequence” below.
• Access a GenBank database on a SoftGenetics server to download a GenBank file with
the same sequence. See “To download a GenBank file with the same sequence” on page
244.
• Adjust the number of the first coding base or the sequence start. See “To adjust the
number of the first coding base or the sequence start” on page 244.
• Add ROIs that are based on the CDSs. See “To add ROIs that are based on CDSs” on page
245.
• Reverse complement the currently loaded GenBank file. See “To reverse complement the
currently loaded GenBank file” on page 245.

To search the loaded GenBank file for a specific sequence

1. On the Advanced GBK File Editor main menu, click Search > Search in Sequence.
The Search in Sequence dialog box opens.
Figure 8-23: Search in Sequence dialog box

2. Enter the sequence for which to search in this dialog box.

3. Optionally, to reverse complement the sequence before searching, click Complementary.
If the sequence is found, the sequence text display in the middle section is moved to the
first occurrence of the sequence and the text is displayed in pink on the tab.
Figure 8-24: Located sequence in sequence text display

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To download a GenBank file with the same sequence

1. On the Advanced GBK File Editor main menu, click Search > Search in Database.
The Search in Database dialog box. opens. This dialog box lists the entire nucleotide
sequence of the currently loaded GenBank file.
Figure 8-25: Search in Database dialog box

2. Click Submit to initiate the search.

If a GenBank file is located that has the same genomic sequence as the currently loaded
GenBank file, then Mutation Surveyor replaces the currently loaded GenBank file with
the GenBank file from SoftGenetics’s database. If a GenBank file that matches the
genomic sequence of the currently loaded file cannot be found, then a message opens
indicating this and the currently loaded GenBank file is cleared from the editor.

To adjust the number of the first coding base or the sequence start
At times, you might want to adjust the number of the first base or the first coding base in a
GenBank file. For example, if a promoter region is 500 bps, then the sequence start that
typically is 1 is now 501, but you still want the sequence start to be 1.
1. On the Advanced GBK File Editor main menu, click Tools > Adjust.
The Adjust File dialog box opens.
Figure 8-26: Adjust File dialog box

2. Set your options as appropriate.

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3. Click OK.
The Advanced GBK File Editor display is updated accordingly.

To add ROIs that are based on CDSs

1. On the Advanced GBK File Editor main menu, click Tools > Auto Create ROI.
The Create ROI for CDSs dialog box opens.
Figure 8-27: Create ROI for CDSs dialog box

2. Specify the number of base pairs that are to included before (left) and after (right) each
CDS.
3. Click OK.

4. Click the Refresh icon to view these changes in the Region of Interest field on the
Basic Information tab.

To reverse complement the currently loaded GenBank file

1. On the Advanced GBK File Editor main menu, click Tools > Complement.
A message opens, asking you if you want to reverse complement the currently loaded
GenBank file.
2. Click Yes.
The Advanced GBK Editor display is updated accordingly, and a second message opens,
asking you if you want to save the complement GenBank file.
3. Click Yes.
By default, the file name is the name of the GenBank file that was complemented and
appended with the word “complement” (for example,
BRCA1_NC_RC_complement.gbk) and the file is saved in the same directory as the
original GenBank file that was loaded. You can change either or both of these values as
needed.

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SEQ File Editor Tool

You use the SEQ File Editor tool to view, add, and edit CDS information in SEQ files.

You can use the SEQ File Editor tool to load and annotate FASTA (.fasta) and
trace files (.scf, .ab1, and .abi) and text (.txt) files as well as .seq files.

To load a SEQ file into the SEQ File Editor tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > SEQ File Editor to open the SEQ
File Editor window.
2. On the SEQ File Editor window main menu, click File> Open, and in the Open File
dialog box, select the appropriate .seq file, and then click Open.
The .seq file is loaded into the SEQ File Editor.
Figure 8-28: SEQ File Editor window with loaded .seq file

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SEQ File Editor tool layout

The SEQ File Editor window is divided into two sections—-upper and lower. The upper
section contains fields that are automatically populated with the information that Mutation
Surveyor has pulled directly from the loaded SEQ file. You can edit much of this information
to suit your working needs. The lower section is an editable textual representation of the full
sequence for the single CDS. Black lowercase letters indicate nucleotides in a non-coding
region. Red uppercase letters indicate nucleotides in a coding region. Blue letters indicate
reported variations. (The letters are uppercase or lowercase depending on the region in which
the variation occurs.) After you make a modification to the loaded SEQ file and click
Refresh, Mutation Surveyor updates the display accordingly.

Field Description
Gene The gene name.
Exon and Note The Exon number and any other additional information for the exon.
Note: All Exon fields on all Mutation Surveyor reports are automatically
populated with the value in this field, so edit this value carefully.
Reading Frame Reading frame number for the first coding base.
Remainder The number of bases from the previous CDS that are required to complete the
Base(s) of first codon of the currently loaded CDS.
Previous CDS • If the Reading Frame =1, then the no bases are required. The coding
sequence is complete.
• If the Reading Frame =2, then a single base is required from the previous
CDS.
• If the Reading Frame =3, then two bases are required from the previous
CDS.
Remainder The number of bases from the next CDS that are required to complete the last
Base(s) of Next codon of the currently loaded CDS.
CDS • If the Reading Frame of the next CDS=1, then the no bases are required.
The coding sequence is complete.
• If the Reading Frame of the next CDS=2, then two bases are required from
the next CDS.
• If the Reading Frame of the next CDS=3, then one base is required from the
next CDS.
The Number of The number assigned to the first nucleotide in the sequence text display. If you
the First Base change this number, then numbering of all the nucleotides in the sequence text
display is changed accordingly.
Note: If you change the value for The Number of the First Base, the CDS
numbers and the ROI numbers are not changed. To change these
numbers, you must use the Adjust function. (See “SEQ File Editor tool
functions” on page 250.).
mRNA Start Index The genome position of the mRNA start is related to the mRNA numbering
through the mRNA Start Index. This value is needed to determine the offset in
numbering between the CDS nomenclature and the mRNA nomenclature
relative to the number of bases in the untranslated region that is upstream of
the CDS start.

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Field Description
mRNA The starting and ending nucleotide numbers for the mRNA region.
Note: If you modify these values, the selected sequence is read as cDNA.
CDS Index The CDS number as pulled directly from the loaded SEQ file.
Coding Sequence The starting and ending nucleotide numbers for the CDS. The CDS is
indicated by red letters in the sequence text display.
Region of Interest The starting and ending nucleotide numbers for the ROI defined in the CDS.
Caution: You can renumber the positions in the SEQ file (The Number of the First Base, the mRNA
Start and End values, the Coding Sequence Start and End values, and the Region of
Interest Start and End values) so that the numbering is relative to the CDS and not to the
genomic positions (which is the numbering scheme in the GAD); however, if you do
renumber the positions, then the position at the end of one sequence file might overlap
the position at the beginning of the next sequence file, which can cause difficulty in your
data analysis.
Note: Even if you modify the information for both the CDSs and the ROIs on this tab, your
project’s graphical output can be limited based on the options that you have selected for
Output Limits. See “Output Limits” on page 63.
Amino Acid The starting codon and ending codon numbers for the amino acid string for
Sequence which the currently loaded CDS codes. If the starting and ending coding
sequence positions are populated and you enter only the starting amino acid
string number, and then click Refresh, Mutation Surveyor automatically
calculates the ending number for the string.
Note: To display the amino acid sequence in the standard mutation reports
and the GAD, Amino Acid must be selected on the Output tab of the
Project Options dialog box. See “Output tab” on page 62.
• Starting Vector Trims a sample sequence according to a starting vector sequence and an
Sequence ending vector sequence. To carry out a vector trim:
• Ending Vector • You must specify both the vector base sequence and the clone DNA base
Sequence sequence in the Sequence field.
• You must specify the starting vector sequence in the Starting Vector
Sequence field.
• You must specify the ending vector sequence in the Ending Vector
Sequence field.
Mutation Surveyor carries out a “loose match” between the vector base
sequence and the starting and ending vector sequences to determine the
regions of the SEQ reference file that contain the vector sequence. When a
sample trace aligns to both the vector sequence and the cDNA sequence of
the SEQ reference file, Mutation Surveyor adjusts the mutation detection
region inward to avoid mutation detection in the vector sequence of the sample
traces.
Note: To carry out a vector trim, Vector Trimming must be selected on the
Options tab of the Project Options dialog box. See “Contig tab” on
page 55. Mutation Surveyor trims the data according to the specified
values and indicates the boundaries with vertical blue bars in the
GAD.
Note: You can also use the Mask Vector Sequence tool to replace base calls
in the vector sequence region. See “Mask Vector Sequence Tool” on
page 291.

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Field Description
Variations If you modify or enter known sequence variations, the variations must adhere
to a specific layout:
• Substitution:
• <position><variant>/<normal>(<dbSNP_Identifier>)
Example: 30565C/T(dbSNP:8176209)
• Insertion:
• <position_before>..<position_after>-/<nucleotides>(dbSNP_identifier>)
Example: 30609..30610-/C(dbSNP:35466763)
• <position_before>..<position_after>ins<nucleotides>(<dbSNP_Identifier
Example: 30609..30610insC(dbSNP:35466763)
• Deletion:
• <position_1>..<position_N><nucleotides>/-(<db_SNP_Identifier>)
Example: 31549..31552GCAG/-(dbSNP:84678345)
• <position_1>..<position_N>del<nucleotides>/-(<db_SNP_Identifier>)
Example: 31549..31552delGCAG(dbSNP:84678345)
Amino Acid The amino acid sequence that corresponds to the base sequence beginning
Sequence one base after the Start base indicated for the Amino Acid Start. The string is
shown using standard IUB/IUPAC amino acid codes.
Amplicon ID Amplicon ID is always an optional value for the ROI; however, if your samples
overlap and you are using amplicons to construct contigs, then to ensure
proper alignment, the Amplicon Id should be the same as the Amplicon ID that
is used in your sample filenames. (See “Use Amplicon to Construct Contig” on
page 57.)
Is Last mRNA Select this option if the SEQ file contains the last base of mRNA for the gene.
Note: Mutation Surveyor does not automatically add a checkmark to the
“Last mRNA” field for the SEQ file that contains the last base of mRNA
when you create SEQ files from the Advanced GBK File Editor.
Note: The Relative to mRNA nomenclature outputs IVS*5 for a position that
is 5 bases after the mRNA, rather than IVS3123+5, indicating that the
position is outside of the mRNA, and not within an intron.

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SEQ File Editor tool functions

The SEQ File Editor tool contains several of functions for working with the loaded SEQ file.
In addition to being able to modify values directly in the editor, you can:
• Search the loaded SEQ file for a specific sequence. See “To search the loaded SEQ file
for a specific sequence” below.
• Adjust the number of the first coding base or the sequence start. See “To adjust the
number of the first coding base or the sequence start” on page 251.

To search the loaded SEQ file for a specific sequence

1. On the SEQ File Editor main menu, click Search > Search in Sequence.
The Search in Sequence dialog box opens.
Figure 8-29: Search in Sequence dialog box

2. Enter the sequence for which to search in this dialog box.

3. Optionally, to reverse complement the sequence before searching, click Complementary.
If the sequence is found, the sequence text display in the middle section is moved to the
first occurrence of the sequence and the text is displayed in pink on the tab.
Figure 8-30: Located sequence in sequence text display

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To adjust the number of the first coding base or the sequence start
At times, you might want to adjust the number of the first base or the first coding base in a
SEQ file. For example, if a promoter region is 500 bps, then the sequence start that typically
is 1 is now 501, but you still want the sequence start to be 1.
1. On the Advanced GBK File Editor main menu, click Tools > Adjust.
The Adjust File dialog box opens.
Figure 8-31: Adjust File dialog box

2. Set your options as appropriate.

3. Click OK.
The SEQ File Editor display is updated accordingly.

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Mutation Surveyor provides many tools for optimizing input data and analyzing results,
including tools for modifying filename information to ensure the correct grouping of sample
files in a project, tools for converting files from one format to another, and tools for
assembling sample files and project files for comparison.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Sample File Editing Tools” on page 255.
• “File Conversion Tools” on page 269.
• “Assembly Tools” on page 277.
• “Other Tools” on page 289.

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Sample File Editing Tools

Section Contents
• “Filename Editor Tool” on page 257.
• “2D Filename Match Editor tool” on page 261.
• “ND Filename Match Editor Tool” on page 264.
• “Print Header Editor Tool” on page 267.

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Filename Editor Tool

You use the FileName Editor tool to modify your sample filenames to ensure that your
sample files will be grouped correctly in a Mutation Surveyor project. You can use the tool to
modify sample filenames programmatically, or you can manually change filenames using a
tab-delimited text file.

To programmatically change filenames

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Filename Editor.
The Filename Editor window opens.
Figure 9-1: Filename Editor window

2. Click the Browse button next to the From field, and browse to and select the
directory that contains the sample files for which you are modifying the names.
A list of all the sample files in the selected directory is displayed in the From (left) pane
of the window.

3. Click the Browse button next to the To field, and browse to and select the directory
that is to contain the renamed sample files.

If you select the same directory for the From and To lists, then your original files
are replaced with the edited files, so select the same directory only if you do not
want to retain your original files.

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4. Select the option by which to modify your existing sample filenames.

A placeholder in the form of *.* is displayed in the blank field below the From field and
below the To field. The asterisk (*) in this placeholder is a wildcard character, which is a
a special character that represents one or more characters in a string of characters. For
example, in searching, “run*” implies to search for any word that starts with “run” and
that has any ending, such as running, runt, runs, rundown, and so on.

Option Description
Overwrite Replaces all or part of the original filename. You can replace part or all the
filename with different characters, or you can replace all or part of the
filename with no characters, which essentially removes the specified part of
the filename.
Use*_1 Replaces all or part of the original filename and then sequentially numbers
any identically named files.
Use *_erase part Removes specified characters from the filename. The remaining characters
make up the new filename.

5. In the From field, enter the part of the filename that is to be replaced or removed
between the asterisks.

The list of sample files temporarily disappears from the From list as you enter the
part of the filename that you want to remove. The list is displayed again after
Mutation Surveyor recognizes the part of the filename that you have entered.

6. In the To field, enter the characters that are to replace the filename or part of the filename
between the asterisks. If you have selected Overwrite and you simply want to remove a
selected part of the filename, enter **.

Whatever value that you enter in the From field is automatically entered in the To
field as well, so you must make sure to edit the value in the To field correctly.

7. Click Refresh.
The list of edited sample names is displayed in the To (right) pane of the window.
Figure 9-2: Overwrite example (characters replaced)

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Figure 9-3: Overwrite example (characters removed)

Figure 9-4: Use*_1 example

Figure 9-5: Use*_ erase part example

8. Do one of the following:

• If you selected the same directory for the From and To lists, click Rename.
• If you selected different directories for the From and To lists, click Copy.

To manually change filenames

1. Create a tab-delimited text file that has two columns. In the first column, enter the
current filenames. In the second column, enter the target filenames.
2. Save the text file in the same directory as the sample files.
3. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Filename Editor.
The Filename Editor window opens.
4. Click Rename Text File.

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5. Click the Browse button next to the From field, and browse to and select the text
file.
A list of all the sample files in the selected directory is displayed in the From (left) pane
of the window.

6. Click the Browse button next to the To field, and browse to and select the directory
that is to contain the renamed sample files.

If you select the same directory for the From and To lists, then your original files
are replaced with the edited files, so select the same directory only if you do not
want to retain your original files.

7. Click Rename.
The list of edited sample names is displayed in the To (right) pane of the window.

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2D Filename Match Editor tool

If your sample files are named in such a way that neither Mutation Surveyor’s default project
options nor Mutation Surveyor’s automatic file pairing options result in your sample files
being paired correctly, you should use the 2D Filename Match Editor tool to create a
Grouping File. A Grouping File is a text file that defines how your sample files should be
paired in your Mutation Surveyor project. You can point to the Grouping File in your
Mutation Surveyor project, and all the sample files that are defined in the file are added to
the project.

To use the 2D Filename Match Editor tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > 2D Filename Match Editor.
The 2D Filename Match Editor window opens.
Figure 9-6: 2D Filename Match Editor window

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2. Click Add.
The Open Files dialog box opens.
Figure 9-7: Open Files dialog box

3. In the Sample Files (lower) pane, click Add, and then click Add Files or Add Directory
to select the samples files that are to be grouped.

If you are adding files, CTRL-click to select multiple non-contiguous files.

SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous files. If you are adding a directory, then
all the files in the directory are added in a single step.

4. Click OK.
The samples files are added to the 2D Filename Match Editor window. Mutation
Surveyor initially tries to correctly group the sample files based on information in the
sample file names such as *_F and *_R.
Figure 9-8: 2D Filename Editor window with files paired by Mutation Surveyor

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5. If the automatic pairing is correct, then continue to Step 6; otherwise, continue to Step 7.
6. Click Save to open the Save Result dialog box in which you can specify a name for
saving the Grouping File.

By default, the Grouping File is saved as a text file in the same folder as all the
sample files. You must not change this location, or the Grouping File function will
not work.

Figure 9-9: 2D Grouping File example

7. If the automatic pairing is not correct, then do one or more of the following to correctly
pair your sample files:
• Add a GenBank file to assist Mutation Surveyor surveyor in aligning and pairing the
sample files.
• Select a file and use the Forward (F--> R) or Reverse (F <--R) buttons to move the
sample file to the correct list. After you have moved all the necessary files, click
Refresh to have Mutation Surveyor try to correctly group the sample files based on
information in the sample file names such as *_F and *_R.
• Select a file and use the Forward (F--> R) or Reverse (F <--R) buttons to move the
sample file to the correct list. After you have moved all the necessary files, edit the
order of the lists. (To edit the order, click a position number to select it, change the
position number accordingly, and then click Refresh.)
• Use model files to correctly pair sample files.
• Identify two forward sample files and two reverse sample files that are
appropriate to serve as “model” files.
• Move the reverse sample files to the Reverse Files list.
• Right-click each forward sample file and on the context menu that opens, click
Copy to Model. Repeat this step for the reverse sample files.
• Click Model Match to correctly pair the remaining sample files.
8. Click Save to open the Save As dialog box in which you can specify a name for saving
the Grouping File.

By default, the Grouping File is saved as a text file in the same folder as all the
sample files. You must not change this location, or the Grouping File function will
not work.

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ND Filename Match Editor Tool

You use the ND Filename Match Editor tool to create a Grouping file that can assist in
grouping sample files correctly in the Project report and in the SGP Comparison tool. The
sample files can be .scf files or .abi/ab1 files.

You do not have an option to load the ND Grouping file for the Project report after
running a Mutation Surveyor project. To use the ND Grouping file for the Project
report, when setting up your Mutation Surveyor project, you must select Load
Grouping File on the Open files dialog box, and then click Add in the Sample Files
pane to select the Grouping file. All the sample files that are listed in the Grouping
file are added to the project. Although Mutation Surveyor attempts to use the
information in the Grouping file to group the sample files in the project, the
Grouping file’s primary purpose is for the grouping of sample files in the Project
report, the Project Sample Assembly subreport, and the Comparison functions.

To use the ND Filename Match Editor

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > ND Filename Match Editor.
Figure 9-10: ND Filename Match Editor window

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2. Click Add to open the Open Sample Files dialog box and select the sample files that are
to be grouped.

CTRL-click to select multiple non-contiguous files. SHIFT-click to select multiple

contiguous files.

The sample files are displayed in the ND Filename Match Editor window. Each row in
the window represents a group of sample files. By default, the sample files are first
grouped by comparing the filenames from character one to character five.
Figure 9-11: ND Filename Match Editor window with grouped sample files

3. Optionally, to modify the sample file grouping, change the character values for Compare
Filename, and then click Refresh.
4. When you are satisfied with the sample grouping, do one of the following to save the
Grouping file as a text file:
• If you are saving the Grouping file in the same location as the sample files, click
Save As to open the Save As dialog box in which you can specify a name and a
location for saving the Grouping file as a text file.
By default, the Filename file is populated with _NDMatch.txt. You can change the
name, but you cannot change the file type. The Grouping file lists each row from the
display as a single line in the text file.
Figure 9-12: ND Grouping file saved in same location as the sample files

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• If you are saving the Grouping file in a different location than all the sample files,
then click Save Full Path of Sample Files, and then click Save As to open the Save
As dialog box in which you can specify a name and a location for saving the
Grouping file as a text file.
By default, the Filename file is populated with _NDMatch.txt. You can change the
name, but you cannot change the file type. The Grouping file lists each row from the
display as a single line in the text file with the full path to the file name included.
Figure 9-13: ND Grouping file saved in a different location than the sample files

5. Click Close.

Even if you close, and then reopen Mutation Surveyor, the ND Filename Match
Editor tool “remembers” the last settings specified for it.

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Print Header Editor Tool

You use the Print Header Editor tool to create a custom header that can be displayed at the
top of designated output files.

To use the Print Header Editor tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Print Header Editor.
The Print Header Editor window opens.
Figure 9-14: Print Header Editor window

2. Do one of the following:

• Modify any of the default template information in either column.
• Click Open to select an existing custom header file to modify.

When modifying an existing custom header, click Default at any time to reset all
values in both columns to their original values.

3. Optionally, add or delete rows of information as needed.

• To delete a row from the header, right-click the row, and then click Delete a Row.
• To insert a row into the header, right-click the row that is to be located below the
inserted row, and then click Insert a Row.
• To add a row as the last row in the header, right-click any row, and then click Add a
Row.
4. Click Save to save the custom header as an .inf file.

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File Conversion Tools

Section Contents
• Create SCF Tool on page 271
• Convert to SCF tool on page 274
• Extract SGP Tool on page 275

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Create SCF Tool

You use the Create SCF tool to create a synthetic or pseudo trace file from the sequence in a
SEQ file or in a GBK file. Traces are created in both the forward and reverse direction
whenever possible and are saved as .scf files.

Synthetic traces versus pseudo traces

At a minimum, you must load a GenBank file in the Create SCF tool to create SCF files.
Loading sample traces is optional.
• If you do not load sample traces, then the output is one forward and one reverse trace for
the first 2500 of the loaded GenBank file, or all the bases if the GenBank file contains less
than 2500 bases. Each peak is 3000 RFU.
• If you load sample traces, and no match between the sample traces and the GenBank file
is found, then a trace file is created for the first 2500 bases of the loaded GenBank file, or
all the bases if the GenBank file contains less than 2500 bases. Each peak is 3000 RFU.
• If you load sample traces and a match between the sample traces and the GenBank file is
found, then the trace option that is selected—Synthetic or Pseudo—determines the
characteristics of the trace that is created.
• If Synthetic is selected, then the resulting SCF file has a peak profile similar to that
of the synthetic reference traces that Mutation Surveyor creates. The height of all four
peaks at a given location are summed together and the base call and color is that of
the nucleotide in the GenBank sequence at the given position.
Figure 9-15: Actual trace compared to a synthetic trace

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• If Pseudo is selected, then the resulting SCF file has a peak profile similar to that of
the original matched trace with one exception—positions where the base call differs
between the loaded trace and the GenBank file are given the base call and color of the
GenBank file. For example, in Figure 9-16, note how the actual 179N was replaced
with a pseudo 160C.
Figure 9-16: Actual trace compared to pseudo trace

To use the Create SCF tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Create SCF.
The Create SCF File window opens.
Figure 9-17: Create SCF File window

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2. Leave the default selection of Synthetic as is, or click Pseudo.

3. In the GenBank files (upper) pane, click Add to open the Open Files dialog box, and
select the .seq or GBK files that are to be used for creating the trace.
4. If you selected Synthetic, then continue to Step 6; otherwise, continue to Step 5.
5. In the *.SCF/AB1/ABI Files (lower) pane, click Add, and then click Add Files or Add
Directory to select the samples files that are to be used for creating the pseudo trace.

If you are adding files, CTRL-click to select multiple non-contiguous files.

SHIFT-click to select multiple contiguous files. If you are adding a directory, then
all the files in the directory are added in a single step.

6. Click the Browse button to open the Save As file dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for the saved trace file.
• Forward and reverse synthetic trace files are saved as *_F_synthesis.scf and as
*_R_synthesis.scf, respectively.
• Forward and reverse pseudo trace files are saved as *_F_pseudo.scf and as
*_R_pseudo.scf, respectively.

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Convert to SCF tool

You use the Convert to SCF tool to convert an .abi/.ab1 file to an .scf file, which is a smaller
file format. You can also use the Convert to SCF tool to convert a .fasta file to a .scf file;
however, only the first 1200 bases in the .fasta file are converted.

To use the Convert to SCF tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Convert to SCF.
The Convert to SCF File window opens.
Figure 9-18: Convert to SCF File window

2. Click Add to the right of the Open *.ab1/*.abi/*.fasta Files field. The Open Files dialog
box opens.
Select the files that are to be converted, and then click Open to add the files to the
Convert to SCF tool.
3. In the Output Directory field, leave the default location and name for the .scf file as is, or
click the Browse button to open the Browse for Folder dialog box in which you can
select a different location for saving the .scf file.
4. Click Save.

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Extract SGP Tool

You use the Extract SGP Tool to extract GenBank files, sample files, and reference files from
an SGP file. The sample traces are not extracted as the originally loaded .abi/.ab1 files.
Instead, they are extracted as .scf files, which is the portion of the originally loaded files that
was used for analysis in the project. The reference trace is extracted whether it was a loaded
trace or a generated trace. The project settings and any comments added to the project are not
extracted.

To use the Extract SGP tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Extract SGP.
The Extract SGP window opens.
Figure 9-19: Extract SGP window

2. In the Input pane, click the Browse button to open the Open Mutation Project dialog
box and select the mutation project files that are to be extracted.
3. In the Output pane, leave the default location and name for the extracted files as is, or
click the Browse button to open the Browse for Folder dialog box in which you can
select a different location for saving the extracted files.
4. Click OK.

If you close, and then reopen Mutation Surveyor, the Extract SGP tool
“remembers” the last settings specified for it.

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Assembly Tools

Section Contents
• SGP Comparison Tool on page 279
• Mutation Assembly Tool on page 284
• Sequence Assembly Tool on page 287

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SGP Comparison Tool

You use the SGP Comparison tool to assemble multiple Mutation Surveyor projects and
compare and contrast these projects. The SGP files to which other SGP files are being
compared are the control files, or the standard. The SGP files that are being compared are
the unknown files, or the sample. The report that is produced by the SGP Comparison tool is
color-coded to assist in the identification of inconsistent mutations between the standard files
and the unknown files. You can also use the report for somatic variant detection by
comparing normal and tumor samples, comparing samples that are in the same project or
multiple projects, and identifying the differences between analysts' reviews. The report is
also ideal for auditing purposes.

Before you use the SGP Comparison tool, you might need to correctly group the
SGP files that are being compared. See “ND Filename Match Editor Tool” on
page 264.

To use the SGP Comparison tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > SGP Comparison tool.
The SGP Comparison window opens.

If a project is already loaded in Mutation Surveyor when you open the SGP
Comparison tool, then this project is automatically loaded into the tool.

Figure 9-20: SGP Comparison window

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2. On the SGP Comparison window toolbar, click the Add SGP Files button .
The Open SGP Files dialog box opens.
Figure 9-21: Open SGP Files dialog box

3. Click Add to open the Open Files dialog box opens, select the SGP files that are to be
compared, and then click OK.
The Open Files dialog box closes. The SGP files are added and displayed in the
Mutation Surveyor main window.
4. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > SGP Comparison to bring the SGP
Comparison window to the front.
All the sample files in each of the SGP files are grouped together. The separate SGP
projects are highlighted in different colors.
Figure 9-22: SGP Comparison window with loaded SGP files

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5. To correctly group the sample files, click the Group Sample Files icon .
The Sample Grouping dialog box opens.
Figure 9-23: Sample Grouping dialog box

6. Specify the filename substring by which Mutation Surveyor is to group all the samples
files within a mutation project, and then click OK.
• n-Primer (n-D) Text Input—Use the ND Grouping file to group the sample files. See
“ND Filename Match Editor Tool” on page 264.
• Filename Match (based on one of the following):
• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—If all the filenames in your project contain
the same characters/designator in the same positions, then select this option and
enter the starting and ending character positions.
• Typical Block—If all the filenames in your project contain the same characters/
designator but in different positions, then select this option and enter the value
for the character/designator block.
The display in the SGP Comparison window is refreshed to reflect the groupings.

7. Click the Select Standard icon .

The Select Standard dialog box opens.
Figure 9-24: Select Standard dialog box

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8. Select either an entire mutation project as the standard (the default option), or click
Select standard from sample files and in the Typical Block field, enter a character string
that is contained in the names of all the sample files that you want to use as a standard.
9. Click OK to close the Select standard dialog box and return to the SGP Comparison
window.

10. Click the SGP Comparison icon .

The SGP Comparison report opens. By default, this report shows all the mutations in all
the SGP projects. The mutations are color-coded for identification.

Click Color Code link to open the Color Code dialog box which details the color
coding legend used in the report.

Figure 9-25: SGP Comparison report

The report is interactive:

• To open the Color Code dialog box and view the color legend that is used in the report,
click Color Code.
• To freeze the Sample File column while scrolling, leave Lock sample File in View
selected.
• To view only those mutations that are inconsistent between the standard and the unknown
files, click Display Inconsistent Mutations Only.
• To save the entire report, click the Save Report icon to open the Save As dialog box
in which you can specify a name and location for saving the report as well as its format
(.txt, .xls/.xlsx, .xml, or .htm).
• To export only the sample files that contain inconsistent mutations as .scf files, click the
Export Sample Files with Inconsistent Mutations icon to open the Browse for Folder
dialog box in which you can specify a location to which to export the files.
• To copy selected text in a cell to your clipboard, right-click and select Copy. To copy text

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in a range of cells, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse to select the
region that you want to copy. Use standard keyboard commands or menu commands to
paste the copied text into an application.
• To copy the SGP Comparison report as an image, press and hold the [Shift] key and the
[Ctrl] key and then click and hold the left mouse button and draw a box around the region
of the image that you want to copy. The selected region is filled with black. Right-click
and select Copy to copy the image to your clipboard. Use standard keyboard commands
or menu commands to paste the copied image into an application.

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Mutation Assembly Tool

The Mutation Assembly Tool is especially useful for cDNA projects. You can use the tool to
upload mutation project files and identify mutations in the files using cDNA nomenclature.
Also, you can use the Sample Grouping options to create a consensus of all mutation calls
within a single row or column for a group of sample traces. This approach is useful for
merging the results of several patients that were run over multiple projects.

To use the Mutation Assembly tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Mutation Assembly.
The Mutation Assembly window opens.
Figure 9-26: Mutation Assembly window

2. Click Add to open the Open Files dialog box and select the SGP files that are to be
assembled.

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3. In the Sample Grouping pane, specify the filename substring by which Mutation
Surveyor is to group all the samples files within the selected mutation projects, and then
click OK.
• n-Primer (n-D) Text Input—Use the ND Grouping file to group the sample files. See
“ND Filename Match Editor Tool” on page 264.
• Filename Match (based on one of the following):
• From Character [ ] To Character [ ]—If all the filenames in your project contain
the same characters/designator in the same positions, then select this option and
enter the starting and ending character positions.
• Typical Block—If all the filenames in your project contain the same characters/
designator but in different positions, then select this option and enter the value
for the character/designator block.
4. Click OK.
The Mutation Assembly report opens. This report lists all the identified mutations in the
loaded mutation project files using cDNA nomenclature.
Figure 9-27: Mutation Assembly report

If you close, and then reopen Mutation Surveyor, the Mutation Assembly tool
“remembers” the last settings that specified for it.

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The report is interactive:

• To save the entire report as a text file, click the Save Report icon to open the Save
As dialog box in which you can specify a name and location for saving the .txt file.
• To change the information that is displayed in the report, click the Report Settings button
to open the Mutation Assembly Report Settings dialog box which contains options
for filtering the information that is to be displayed in the report.
Figure 9-28: Mutation Assembly Report Settings dialog box

Option Description
Display • Display Mutations in Rows—Mutations displayed as a matrix of
samples versus reported mutations.
• Display Mutations in Columns—Mutations displayed as a matrix of
reported mutations versus samples.
Mutation Parameters • Display Nucleotide Only—Display only the base number and the
bases involved in the mutation in the mutation code.
• Display Nucleotide and Amino Acid—Display the base number, the
bases involved in the mutation, and the amino acids (the normal
amino acid that is affected by the mutation and the resulting amino
acid) in the mutation code.
• Intelligent Output—The default selection. Shows nomenclature
“Relative to CDS” when the mutation call is outside of the CDS and
only the resultant amino acids when the mutation call is within the
CDS.
Number Base Relative to cDNA—Selected by default. The base number that is used in the mutation
code is numbered relative to the cDNA region, where the beginning base for the region is Base #1,
the second base in the region is Base #2, and so on. Clear this option to use the genomic base
position for the base number in the mutation code.

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Sequence Assembly Tool

You use the Sequence Assembly to carry out de novo assembly of overlapping contigs and
then save the assembled information as a .seq file. You can then use this .seq file as a
GenBank file in a Mutation Surveyor project.

To use the Sequence Assembly tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Sequence Assembly.
The Sequence Assembly window opens.
Figure 9-29: Sequence Assembly window

2. Click Add to open the Open Files dialog box and select the files that are to be used for
the assembly. (The files can be .scf or .abi/.ab1 files.)
3. In the Output Seq File field, leave the default location and name for the .seq file as is, or
click the Browse button next to the field to open the Save As dialog box in which
you can specify a name and location for saving the .seq file.

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4. Click Save.
The SEQ file is saved as one long unbroken string of nucleotides (.fasta format) in a
single file.
Figure 9-30: Saved SEQ file

5. Load this file into the SEQ File Editor (see “SEQ File Editor Tool” on page 246) and
save the file using the editor.
By loading and saving the SEQ file in the SEQ File Editor, the file is saved in a GenBank
format, so, you can now use the file directly in Mutation Surveyor, or you can first
annotate the file to identify CDSs, variations, and so on before use.

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Other Tools

Section Contents
• Mask Vector Sequence Tool on page 291
• Output Trace Data Tool on page 293
• BasePatch Tool on page 295
• The HLA Tool on page 297

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Mask Vector Sequence Tool

You use the Mask Vector Sequence tool to physically modify sample files and replace base
calls in the vector sequence region with N calls. These N calls are displayed as such in the
GAD. Two files are created with this tool—one file with the vector region masked and one
file with the insert region masked.

You can use the Mask Vector Sequence tool to replace base calls in the vector
sequence region, or you can select the Vector Trim option on the Mutation
Surveyor Project Settings dialog box (see “Contig tab” on page 55) and trim the
sample sequence according to a starting vector sequence and an ending vector
sequence that you define using the SEQ File Editor tool. (See “SEQ File Editor
Tool” on page 246.)

To use the Mask Vector Sequence tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Mask Vector Sequence.
The Mask Vector Sequence window opens.
Figure 9-31: Mask Vector Sequence window

2. Click Add in the Vector Sequence File pane to open the Open File dialog box and select
the .seq or GBK file that contains the vector sequence.
3. Click Add in the Trace Files in the pane to open the Open File dialog box and select the
trace (sample) files that are to be modified.

The tool works best when sample trace files are in the same orientation as the
vector sequence.

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4. In the Output Directory field, leave the default location as is, or click the Browse button
to open the Browse for Folder dialog box in which you can select a different
location for saving the sample files.
5. Click OK. The output directory will now contain two copies of each sample trace file
that was loaded into the tool: one copy will have the vector sequence masked
(*_NN.SCF) and one copy will have the sequence of the insert masked (*_AN.SCF).
6. Open a new Mutation Surveyor project. Use the *_NN.SCF files that you saved in Step 5
as the sample files and a GenBank file with the gene of interest as the GenBank file.

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Output Trace Data Tool

You use the Output Trace Data tool to export information about selected traces such as frame
number, base position and peak intensities to a tab-delimited text file. You can export
information either by peak position or by frame.

To use the Output Trace Data tool

1. Open a Mutation Surveyor project.
2. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Output Trace Data.
The Output Trace Data window opens. This window lists all the sample traces for the
Mutation Surveyor project, and by default, all the traces are selected for export.
Figure 9-32: Output Trace Data window

3. You can leave all sample traces selected, or you can clear the selections for the traces for
which you do not want to export information.

Click Select All to select all sample traces in a single step. Click Clear All to clear
current selections in a single step.

4. Select the way by which you want to export the data (Peak Position or Frame-by-Frame)
and then clear the selections for the information that you do not want to export for each
peak or each frame.

By default, all information for a data type is selected for exporting. For
information about Signal Factor intensity and Signal Factor Dev for Peak
Position, see “Signal Factor Intensity and Signal Factor Dev” on page 294.

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5. In the Output Directory field, leave the default location and name for the text file(s) as is,
or click the Browse button to open the Browse for Folder dialog box in which you
can select a different location for saving the text file(s).
6. Click Export.
The selected information is exported to a tab-delimited text file.
Figure 9-33: Output Trace Data text file

Signal Factor Intensity and Signal Factor Dev

Each base call is derived from a peak of one dye color. Secondary peaks of other dye colors
might be located under this major peak. For example, if the base call for nucleotide position
100 is A:
• Signal Factor Intensity = HeightA/(HeightA + HeightT + HeightC +HeightG)
• Signal Factor Deviation = DevA/(DevA + DevT + DevC + DevG), where:
• Dev(i) = 2.0*Height(i) - Height(iL) - Height(iR) and:
• Height(iL) is the peak height 4 bases to the left, or before, position 100:
100 - 4 = nucleotide position 96 for each peak height.
• Height(iR) is the peak height 4 bases to the right, or after, position 100:
100 + 4 = nucleotide position 104 for each peak height.

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BasePatch Tool
You use the BasePatch Tool to narrow and sharpen broad peaks in previously run sample
traces to make the peaks more discernible in the traces, and therefore, make it easier to
identify variants in the traces. You can reprocess any type of sample trace file (AB1/ABI,
SCF) with the BasePatch tool.

You would consider running the BasePatch tool on sample traces for which
variant identification was inconclusive or difficult because of the shapes
(broadness) of their peaks.

To use the BatchPatch tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > BasePatch Tool.
The BasePatch Tool window opens.
Figure 9-34: BasePatch Tool window

2. Click the Browse button next to the Input field, and browse to and select the folder
that contains the sample traces that are to be reprocessed.
By default, the Output directory is set to the same as that for the Input, and the Output
folder is named Processed.

3. Optionally, click the Browse button next to the Output field, and browse to and select
a different directory and/or folder in which to save the reprocessed sample traces.
4. Leave all the Options for the BasePatch tool selected.

Option Description
Baseline Subtraction Has a minimal affect on the reprocessing because typically the Input
sample traces already have had baseline subtraction carried out.

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Option Description
Peak Sharpening Applies the Mexican Hat Wavelet algorithm to narrow and sharpen the
peaks in the sample traces. Leave the associated Peak Sharpening values
(HalfPeak Width and Power) set to their default values.
Note: For information about the algorithm and the Peak Sharpening
values, contact [email protected] for assistance.
IUPAC Base Calls After reprocessing, the nucleotides in the sample traces are called again.

5. Click OK.
The BasePatch Tool window closes. The sample traces are reprocessed. You can now run
these sample files in a Mutation Surveyor project to analyze the variants again. See
“Setting up a Single Mutation Surveyor Project” on page 70.

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The HLA Tool
You use the HLA Tool to analyze Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) data.
The output includes a .dat file that can be loaded into NextGENe for
additional analysis.

To use the HLA tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > HLA.
The HLA Tool dialog box opens.
Figure 9-35: HLA Tool dialog box

2. In the Samples pane, click Add to open the Open Sample File dialog box,
and browse to and select the data files for analysis.
3. In the GenBank Sequence File pane, click Add to open the Open Seq/Gbk
files dialog box, and browse to and select the reference GenBank file for
HLA genes.

You can load multiple reference GenBank files for HLA genes.

4. In the Output field, you can leave the default value for the location of the
output files as-is (the default value is the directory path for the input
files), or you can click Set to select a different location.
5. Click OK.
After processing, the Mutation report is automatically displayed in the
Viewing and Reporting pane of the Mutation Surveyor main window. The
output includes a .dat file that can be loaded into NextGENe for
additional analysis.

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Applications
In addition to the specific functions for which Mutation Surveyor is designed, you can use
Mutation Surveyor for some specialized applications.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Methylation Detection” on page 301.
• “Mutation Quantifier Function” on page 303.

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Methylation Detection
A variety of options are available for analyzing methylated DNA. Mutation Surveyor is
designed specifically for analyzing methylated DNA that has undergone bisulfite treatment.
When you use Mutation Surveyor to analyze methylated DNA that has undergone bisulfite
treatment, the following caveats apply:
• You must use a GenBank or SEQ file as the reference file.
• The GenBank or SEQ file must be loaded in the forward strand orientation. If the file is
not already in this orientation, you must use the Advanced GBK File Editor tool or SEQ
File Editor tool to reverse complement the sequence. See “SEQ File Editor Tool” on page
246 and “Advanced GBK File Editor Tool” on page 231.
• You must select Methylation on the Others tab on the Mutation Surveyor Project Settings
dialog box and you must specify whether the method of detection is to be
Automethylation or Set by User. Additionally, the setting to Automatically Adjust
GenBank Direction, located above the Methylation section of the Others tab, must be
deselected. See “” on page 66.

Typically, Automethylation is the preferred option. When this option is selected,

Mutation Surveyor optimizes the conditions for methylation detection which
minimizes the number of mutations that are detected. By minimizing the number of
detections, the analysis is simplified but its accuracy is maintained.

Bisulfite treatment of single-stranded DNA followed by PCR converts unmethylated

cytosines that are outside of CpG islands to uracil. Unmethylated cytosines that are in CpG
islands are also converted to uracil. Methylated cytosines are not converted. When
evaluating bisulfite-treated DNA, Mutation Surveyor reads the cytosines that have been
converted to uracils as thymines and methylated cytosines simply as cytosines.
Figure 10-1: Bisulfite treatment and PCR of methylated DNA

Because unmethylated sample positions in the comparison region are read as thymine, these

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sample positions align to the reference file and Mutation Surveyor does not call mutations at
these positions. Mutation Surveyor instead calls mutations in the comparison region only at
positions where there is partial or complete methylation.

How Mutation Surveyor calls mutations for methylated DNA assumes 100%
conversion of the unmethylated cytosines to uracil during bisulfite treatment. To
visually evaluate and confirm this assumption, a Methylation report is available.
See “Methylation report” on page 203.

Figure 10-2 is an example of a GAD for a methylation detection analysis. The top pane is the
reference trace that was synthesized from the derivative GenBank file. The horizontal blue
lines indicates positions where the reference file was originally a cytosine. The middle pane
is the sample trace. The bottom pane is the mutation detection trace.
Figure 10-2: GAD for methylation detection

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Mutation Quantifier Function

The Mutation Quantifier function quantifies the allele ratios (normal allele and mutant allele)
of Sanger sequencing traces at specific locations in the genome. You can use software
determined standards or set your own standards for calculating the mutant peak percentage
according to the following formula:
100 x [Mutant peak intensity/(Mutant peak intensity + Normal peak intensity)]

To run the Mutation Quantifier function

1. After running a Mutation Surveyor project, click on the Mutation Quantifier button
from the main toolbar.
The Mutation Quantifier dialog box opens. This dialog contains a tab for every contig in
the Mutation Surveyor project.
Figure 10-3: Mutation Quantifier dialog box

2. Select the method by which to run the quantification—Standardized Allele Ratio or

Simplified Allele Ratio.

The information that is displayed in the Mutation Quantifier report is completely

different based on the method that you select. To see how two alleles vary with one
sample trace, select Simplified Allele Ratio. To see how two alleles vary as
compared to two Standard traces, select Standardized Allele Ratio.

3. If you selected Standardized Allele Ratio, continue to Step 4; otherwise, continue to Step
5.

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4. For each contig in the project, do the following:

• Standard 1—The Standard 1 dropdown list is a list of all the sample files contained
in the selected contig. Standard 1 serves as one of the control files for the mutation
quantification calculation. Ideally, the sample file should show a mutation peak
percentage of 0%, meaning that only the normal peak is present in the sample. You
can select a sample file from the Standard 1 dropdown list, or leave the Standard 1
field blank to have Mutation Surveyor select the standard file.
• Standard 2—The Standard 2 dropdown list is a list of all the sample files contained
in the selected contig. Standard 2 serves as one of the control files for the mutation
quantification calculation. Ideally, the sample file should show a mutation peak
percentage of 100%, meaning that the normal peak is not present in the sample. You
can select a sample file from the Standard 2 dropdown list, or leave the Standard 2
field blank to have Mutation Surveyor select the standard file.

Ideally, the sample file should show a mutation peak percentage of 100% however,
if necessary, you can select a heterozygous sample file that shows a mutation peak
percentage of 50%.

5. Select the options for the quantification.

Option Description
Process Mutations Select this option to quantify substitution mutation peaks.
Process 2D Small Select this option to quantify 2D small peaks that have been identified
Peaks by Mutation Surveyor.
Note: You can select this option only if Check 2D Small Peaks
(Mosaic) was selected for the project. See “Check 2D Small
Peaks (Mosaic)” on page 65.
Points of Interest Select this option to enter specific loci for quantification of mutation
peaks.

6. Click OK.
The Mutation Quantifier report window opens. The information that is displayed in the
report and the toolbar buttons that are available depend upon the option that you selected
in Step 2—Standardized Allele Ratio or Simplified Allele Ratio. In addition, the buttons
that are available on the toolbar are different. See:
• “Mutation Quantifier report, Standardized Allele Ratio selected” on page 305.
• “Mutation Quantifier report, Simplified Allele Ratio selected” on page 307.

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Mutation Quantifier report, Standardized Allele Ratio selected

With Standardized Allele Ratio selected, the Mutation Quantifier report displays the percent
decrease in intensity for the normal nucleotide peak and the percent increase in intensity for
the mutant nucleotide peak for all identified mutations in the sample files. The report also
contains a toolbar with buttons that are specific for working with the report and for changing
the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 10-4: Mutation Quantifier report, Standardized Allele Ratio selected

Column Description
Contig Contig number for the sample file and the direction of the sample file.
Sample Sample filename.
GenBank The SEQ/GBK reference file to which the sample file was compared.
Base Seq The genomic position of the mutation in the sample file.
Standard1 The sample file used for Standard 1.
Standard2 The sample file used for Standard 2.
Mutation The mutation shown as Normal Base > Mutant Base.
Note: If the mutation is heterozygous, for example, G > GA, then only
the mutant allele (in this example, A) is displayed in the
Mutation Quantifier report.
SC Drop Single Color Drop. Measures the drop in peak intensity at the normal
position by normalizing the peak intensity between the reference peak
from Standard 1 and the sample peak at the first four positions on both
sides of the normal peak that are located greater than 1 bp away from
the normal peak (referred to as the local area) and that have the same
color as the normal peak.
SC Gain Single Color Gain. Measures the increase in peak intensity at the
mutant position by normalizing the peak intensity between the reference
peak from Standard 2 and the sample peak at the first four positions on
both sides of the variant that are located greater than 1 bp away from
the mutant peak (referred to as the local area) and that have the same
color as the mutant peak.
Note: Neighboring peaks at +/- 1 bps are not used for the measurement because their intensities
are often affected by the mutation. Single color peaks that might contain mosaic or
heterozygous mutations are also not used for the measurement. If such a peak is found in
the local area, then drop or gain cannot be calculated.
Note: A question mark (?) indicates inconclusive data that was the result of poor standards or
poor peaks in the local area, such as mosaic or heterozygous mutations.

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The report is interactive:

• To sort the report results, click any column heading.
• To view the electropherogram for a mutation compared to the electropherograms for the
standards, double-click the mutation. The mutation is marked with a red dot in the display.

In Figure 10-5, the horizontal red bars were manually added to assist you with
visualization. They do not normally appear in the display. For the drop in “C,”
compare the Cs between Standard 1 and the sample. For the increase in “T,”
compare the Ts between Standard 2 and the sample. The sample drop displays a
“?” because the Cs in the local area of the sample peak are heterozygous, and
reliable determination of the drop is not possible.

Figure 10-5: Display for mutation quantification, Standardized Allele Ratio selected

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Mutation Quantifier report, Simplified Allele Ratio selected

With Simplified Allele Ratio selected, the Mutation Quantifier report displays all peak
values in RFUs rather than as percentages. The report also contains a toolbar with buttons
that are specific for working with the report and for changing the information that is
displayed in the report.
Figure 10-6: Mutation Quantifier report, Simplified Allele Ratio selected

Column Description
Contig Contig number for the sample file and the direction of the sample file.
Sample Sample filename.
Position The genomic position of the mutation in the sample file.
Normal The normal base as reported for the reference.
Mutation The mutant base as reported in the GAD.
Note: If the mutation is heterozygous, for example, G > GA, then only
the mutant allele (in this example, A) is displayed in the
Mutation Quantifier report.
Norm_Height The peak height (in RFUs) of the normal allele.
Mut_Height The peak height (in RFUs) of the mutant allele.
Norm_Neighbors Average peak height (in RFUs) for the first four base positions on both
sides of the normal peak that are located greater than 1 bp away from
the normal peak (referred to as the local area) and that have same color
as the normal peak.
Mut_Neighbor Average peak height (in RFUs) for the first four base positions on both
sides of the mutant peak that are located greater than 1 bp away from
the mutant peak (referred to as the local area) and that have same color
as the mutant peak.
Norm_Percent Normal peak percentage.
Mut_Percent Mutant peak percentage.

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The report is interactive:

• To sort the report results, click any column heading other than Mut_Height,
Norm_Neighbor, Mut_Neighbor, or Mut_Percent.
• To view the electropherogram for a mutation, double-click the mutation. The mutation is
marked with a red dot in the display.
Figure 10-7: Display for mutation quantification, Simplified Allele Ratio selected

Mutation Quantifier toolbar

The Mutation Quantifier report toolbar contains buttons that are specific for working with
the report and for changing the information that is displayed in the report.
Figure 10-8: Mutation Quantifier report toolbar

Button Description
Quantify—Opens the Mutation Quantifier dialog box. See “To run the
Mutation Quantifier function” on page 303.

Edit Groups—Available only when Standardized Allele Ratio is selected.

Opens the Quantification Group Editor dialog box You can use the
functions on this dialog box to manually select the sample files for
Standard 1 and Standard 2 and recalculate the mutation quantification
based on the settings (Process Mutations, and so on) that you
previously selected in the Mutation Quantifier dialog box. See
“Quantification Group Editor dialog box” on page 309.

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Button Description
Report Settings—Available only when Standardized Allele Ratio is
selected. Opens the Quantifier Report Settings dialog box which
contains options for filtering the information that is to be displayed in the
report. See “Mutation Quantifier report settings dialog box” on page 310.

Display Mutations with 1D/2D Settings—Toggles the GAD between the

1D and 2D views.
Note: With 1D settings selected, more low confidence mutation calls
might be included in reports.

Save Report—Opens the Save Report As dialog box in which you can
specify a name and location for saving the report as a .txt file.

Quantification Group Editor dialog box

You can use the functions on the Quantification Group Editor dialog box to manually select
the sample files for Standard 1 and Standard 2 and recalculate the mutation quantification
based on the settings (Process Mutations, and so on) that you previously selected in the
Mutation Quantifier dialog box.
Figure 10-9: Quantification Group Editor dialog box

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1. In the Seq Index field, enter the contig position of a known mutation in the selected
mutation project and press [Enter].
Mutation Surveyor automatically identifies the base change and in the Samples pane,
displays and highlights all the sample files that contain the specific mutation. Mutation
Surveyor also automatically identifies the GenBank file to which the sample files were
compared and selects the sample files for Standard 1 and Standard 2.
2. Do one of the following:

If you are satisfied with Mutation Surveyor’s 1. Click Add to update the Mutation Quantifier
automatic selections: table with these selections.
2. Click OK to recalculate the mutation
quantifications based on the settings that you
previously selected in the Mutation Quantifier
dialog box.
If you are not satisfied with Mutation Surveyor’s 1. Make any changes as needed (for example,
automatic selections: select a different sample file for Standard 1).
2. Click Update to update the Mutation
Quantifier table with these selections.
3. Click OK to recalculate the mutation
quantifications based on the settings that you
previously selected in the Mutation Quantifier
dialog box.

Mutation Quantifier report settings dialog box

The Quantifier Report Settings dialog box contains options for filtering the information that
is to be displayed in the report.
Figure 10-10: Quantifier report settings dialog box

Option Description
Report Filter tab
Show Standards Show the sample files used for Standard 1 and Standard 2 in the report.

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Option Description
Shown Sample • SC Drop—Show only those samples with an SC Drop greater than or
Threshold equal to the indicated value.
• SC Gain—Show only those samples with an SC Gain greater than or
equal to the indicated value.
Note: A sample must meet both of the specified thresholds to be
displayed in the report.
• For Each 2D Sample—Selected by default. The quality of the sample
pair at the same position is checked. When the SC Drop and the SC
Gain of both pairs is met, then both values are displayed; otherwise,
both values are hidden.
Columns tab—Select which columns are to be displayed in the Mutation Quantifier report.

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Multiple Projects
Mutation Surveyor also provides the capabilities for modifying existing projects, and for
working with multiple projects. For example, you might need to merge multiple projects into
one project for comparison purposes, or you might need to carry out batch processing of
multiple projects.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Modifying Mutation Surveyor Projects” on page 315.
• “The Log File Wizard in the Mutation AutoRun Tool” on page 317.
• “The Mutation AutoRun Tool” on page 324.

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Modifying Mutation Surveyor Projects

The Modify Mutation Projects function is available on the Mutation Surveyor main menu
(File > Modify Mutation Projects) and it is also available from a button on the Project
Display subreport toolbar. (See “Project Display subreport toolbar” on page 113.) The
Modify Mutation Projects function provides the capabilities for modifying single or multiple
projects in Mutation Surveyor. For example, you can use the Modify Mutation Projects
function for the following purposes:
• To open a single project with the GenBank file that was initially used, so that you can
specify sample grouping options and rerun the project.
• To select a different isoform for a single project so that you can apply the gene annotations
relative to the new isoform to all mutation calls. This allows you to complete the analysis
of the same project with a different isoform without needing to review your mutation calls
a second time.
• To merge multiple projects into one project for comparison purposes and view the project
results in a single report.
Figure 11-1: Modifying Mutation Projects window

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Field Description
GenBank Sequence Use the options in this pane to load a different GenBank file than what
Files (Optional) was loaded for the original project. The new GenBank file must have the
same nucleotide sequence as the original GenBank file, but it can have
different annotations.
SGP files Use the options in this pane to add one or more mutation projects that
are being analyzed. Multiple projects are merged into a single project
and the project results are contained in a single report.
Note: If you load multiple projects and the total number of samples is
< 2000, then you can view the project results in the GAD and
generate reports for the project. If the you load multiple projects
and the total number of samples is > 2000, then you cannot
view the project results in the GAD. You can only generate
reports for the project.
Sample Grouping File Use the options in this pane to load a Sample Grouping file which is a
(Optional) text file that defines how your sample files should be paired in your
Mutation Surveyor project. See “2D Filename Match Editor tool” on page
261.

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The Log File Wizard in the Mutation AutoRun

Tool
You use the Mutation AutoRun tool to carry out the batch analysis of multiple projects,
where each project is referred to as a job. The tool scans for queued files at a user-set
interval. The parameters for processing the projects are specified in a log file that you create
using the Log File Wizard. You can create a job to process samples that have already been
generated by your capillary electrophoresis instrument or you can create a job to process
samples that have not yet been generated by your capillary electrophoresis instrument.

To open the Log File Wizard

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Mutation AutoRun to open the
Mutation AutoRun window.
Figure 11-2: Mutation AutoRun window

2. On the Mutation AutoRun menu, click Tool > Log File Wizard to open the Log File
Wizard. The first page that opens is the Progress page. See Figure 11-3 on page 318.

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Figure 11-3: Log File Wizard, Progress page

The Log File Wizard is a standard wizard consisting of multiple pages that are linked by
Next and Back buttons. Each page contains instructions to guide you through the creation of
a log file. After you complete the steps on a page, you click Next to move to the next page.
At anytime, you can click Back as many times as needed and modify your selections for a
previously completed step or steps. In addition to the standard Next and Back buttons, the
Log File Wizard has page-specific links on the Progress Pane that you can double-click to
open the indicated page. (These links are listed in the same order in which the pages open
when you click Next.) To the right of the Progress Pane is a Jobs dropdown list of all the job
files that are contained in a selected log file. Checkmarks are displayed next to the page links
on the Progress Pane if the indicated information has been added for a selected job. For
example, if report setting files have been added for a selected job, then a checkmark is
displayed next to the Reports link.
You have two options for creating a log file to use with the Mutation AutoRun tool:
• You can set up a new log file. See “To set up a new log file” below.
• You can load a previously saved log file and modify it as needed. See “To modify a log
file” on page 322.

To set up a new log file

1. On the Jobs dropdown list that is to the right of the Progress Pane, select New Job.
2. Click Modify.
3. At the prompt, enter the name for the new job.

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4. Click Next.
You can now continue setting up the log file from scratch. You are prompted to enter
files for a project in the following order—GenBank, Reference, and Sample. Sample
files are always required for a project. GenBank files and reference files are both
optional files for a job. You can add just a GenBank file, just a reference file, both files,
or neither file. If you do not add either a GenBank file or a reference file, Mutation
Surveyor connects to the GenBank database and searches for a GenBank file that has a
sequence that matches the project’s sample files. Adding GenBank files, reference files
or sample files, or any other type of file (for example, custom report settings files)
involves the same general series of steps:

5. Click the Browse button on the Load Files page to open the Browse for Folder
dialog box and browse to and select the folder that contains the files that are to be added
to the job.
All the files that are in the selected folder are displayed in the Available Local Files pane.
After you select the folder that contains the files that you want to add, the Local Path
field is populated with the full directory path to the files. You can click Copy Path to
copy this information to your clipboard and you can then paste it into the Local Path
field in other windows if needed.

You can create a job to process samples that have not yet been generated by your
capillary electrophoresis instrument. By specifying the path where the sample files
are to be located followed by *.*, all files within the folder will be processed.
Because you can configure the Mutation AutoRun function to process log files at
different time intervals, you can set the interval to a time that occurs after the
sample files are ready for processing. For more information about delaying the
start of Mutation AutoRun, see the Time option detailed in “To use the Mutation
AutoRun tool” on page 324.

6. Do one of the following to add the necessary files to the job:

• Double-click each file that you want to add.
• CTRL-click to select multiple non-contiguous files or SHIFT-click to select multiple
contiguous files, and then click Add > Selected.
• Click Add > All to add all the files in a single step.

When Add > All is selected, the Selected Folders/Files field contains an entry that
includes the path to the folder followed by “*.<extension>.” This indicates that
all contents from this folder of the appropriate file type are to be used in the
analysis. If you add new files to this folder prior to running the job, the new files
are also processed.

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7. After adding all the necessary files for the project, click Next.
The Input Project Settings page opens.
Figure 11-4: Input Project Settings page

8. Click the Browse button page to open the Browse for Folder dialog box and browse
to and select the folder that is to contain the processed SGP project file, and then click
Add. Any automatically generated reports are also saved to this location.
9. Optionally, you can also do one or more of the following:
• In the Project name field, enter a name for the project.
• Click Advanced to open the Load Process Settings dialog box, and then click the
Browse button page to open the Load Project Settings dialog box and browse to
and select the settings file (.ini) file that specifies the settings that you want to use for
the project.
Figure 11-5: Load Project Settings dialog box

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Although specifying project settings is optional, if you do not specify any settings
for the project, then Mutation Surveyor processes all the projects in the job
according to the settings that were last used by Mutation Surveyor. Unless you
modify the values again, all new projects are carried out according to the options
that you have specified. If you load an existing project, the options revert to those
set for the project. If you run a new project after loading an existing project, the
new project is carried out according to the existing project settings.

• Click Export Mutation Surveyor Process Settings with Project.

10. Click OK to close the Process Settings dialog box, and then click Next.
The Input Report Information page opens.
Figure 11-6: Input Report Information page

11. Optionally, do one or more of the following:

• If you want to generate one or more custom reports for the project, add the
appropriate custom report settings files (.ini) to the project.

If you want to create a custom report for the project, but want to use the default
settings in the MutationSurveyor_Settings.ini file, then you do not need to add any
settings files to the project. Instead, you can simply select the format (VCF, TXT,
XLS, or XML) for the custom report.

• Click Export Custom Report Settings with Project.

• Select the format (TXT or XLS) for the other reports (Two Direction, Advanced Two
Direction, or JHU) that you want to generate for the project.

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12. Click Finished.

You return to the Progress Page.
13. Click Save.
The Save Log File dialog box opens.
14. Specify a name and location for the job’s log file.

The log file has the extension.log and you cannot change this.

To modify a log file

When you modify a log file, you can modify the information for an existing job in the log
file, you can add a new job to the log file, and you can remove a job from the log file.
1. On the Log File Wizard main menu, click File > Open.
The Open Log File dialog opens.
2. Select the log file that is to be modified, and then click Open.
You return to the Progress page. By default, the first job in the log file is loaded into the
Log File Wizard. Checkmarks are displayed next to the page links if the information has
been added for the job. For example, if report setting files have been added for the first
job, then a checkmark is displayed next to the Reports link.
3. Continue to one of the following:
• “To modify an existing job in the log file.”
• “To add a new job to a log file” on page 323.
• “To remove a job from a log file” on page 323.

To modify an existing job in the log file

1. On the Jobs dropdown list that is to the right of the Progress Pane, select the job that is to
be modified.
The job is loaded into the Log File Wizard. A checkmark is displayed next to a page link
if the information has been added for the job. For example, if report setting files have
been added for the selected job, then a checkmark is displayed next to the Reports link.
2. Modify the information as needed for the loaded job.

To modify the name for the job, click Modify on the Progress page, and at the
prompt, modify the name for the job. You can use the Next and Back buttons to
move through the necessary pages for modifying the job, or you can double-click a
page link in the Progress Pane to open the indicated page.

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3. After you have modified the information for the job, click OK on any page in the Log
File Wizard.
You return to the Progress page.
4. Click Save on the Progress page to save the modifications to the job.

To add a new job to a log file

1. On the Jobs dropdown list that is to the right of the Progress Pane, select New Job.
2. Click Modify.
3. At the prompt, enter the name for the new job.
4. Click Next.
5. Add the information for the new job.
6. After you have added the information for the new job, click OK on any page in the Log
File Wizard.
You return to the Progress page.
7. Click Save on the Progress page to save the new job to the log file.

To remove a job from a log file

1. On the dropdown list that is to the right of the Progress Pane, select the job that is to be
deleted.
2. Click Remove.
3. Click Yes at the prompt about removing the log file.
You return to the Progress page.
4. Click Save on the Progress page to save the changes to the log file.

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The Mutation AutoRun Tool

You use the Mutation AutoRun tool to carry out the batch analysis of multiple projects,
where each project is referred to as a job. The function scans for queued files at a user-set
interval. With this function, Mutation Surveyor can analyze up to 8 billion base pairs of data
in eight hours.

Remember, you can also use the Mutation AutoRun tool to schedule the processing
of a project where the sample files have not yet been created. See “The Log File
Wizard in the Mutation AutoRun Tool” on page 317.

To use the Mutation AutoRun tool

1. On the Mutation Surveyor main menu, click Tools > Mutation AutoRun
The Mutation AutoRun window opens.
Figure 11-7: Mutation AutoRun window

2. On the Mutation AutoRun toolbar, click the Settings icon .

The Mutation AutoRun Settings dialog box opens.
Figure 11-8: Mutation AutoRun Settings dialog box

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3. Specify the settings for the autorun.

Option Description
Log File Detecting The directory in which you saved the log file. See Step 7 and Step 8 of
Directory “To set up a new log file” on page 318 in “The Log File Wizard in the
Mutation AutoRun Tool” on page 317.
Local Work Folder The temporary directory in which the analyzed data is being processed.
Time • Detect Time Interval—The time interval between searches. (When
Mutation Surveyor searches for log files to process.)
• Start Detecting Time—The starting date and time for the search.
Minimize to Taskbar When the Mutation AutoRun function starts, it opens Mutation Surveyor.
Select this option to automatically minimize the Mutation Surveyor
window after it opens to the taskbar.

4. Click OK to close the Mutation AutoRun Settings dialog box.

5. Click File > Detect.
On the specified date and time, Mutation Surveyor begins looking for unprocessed log
files. It looks for these log files according to the specified time intervals, for example,
every 10 minutes. When an unprocessed log file is detected, Mutation Surveyor opens
the file and processes the project data according to the instructions detailed in the log
file. Mutation Surveyor saves the data to the designated output folder.

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Projects
Mutation Surveyor automatically identifies mutation calls at positions where the variation
between the reference trace and the sample trace meet or exceed detection thresholds.
Mutation Surveyor also sometimes deletes mutation calls at positions that do not meet
specific criteria. As a user, however, you have the option of manually adding or editing
mutation calls in your mutation project, and you also have the option of overriding Mutation
Surveyor’s automatic actions. You can also create a custom database of known deletions that
are based on the variants in a selected mutation project, and you can then use this database in
other mutation projects.
This chapter covers the following topics:
• “Adding Mutation Calls” on page 329.
• “Editing Mutation Calls” on page 335.
• “Annotating Reported Variations” on page 341.
• “Creating a User Knowledge Database for Known Deletions” on page 342.
• “Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a Mutation” on page 344.

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Adding Mutation Calls

Mutation Surveyor automatically identifies mutation calls at positions where the variation
between the reference trace and the sample trace meet or exceed detection thresholds.
Options are also available, however, for you to manually add mutation calls to a mutation
trace. You can add substitution mutation calls, you can add homozygous indel mutation calls,
and you can add heterozygous indel mutation calls.

To add a substitution
1. Open the mutation project in the GAD or in the Project Reviewer.
2. Right-click the mutation trace, and on the menu that opens, click Add Substitution.
The Add Substitution dialog box opens.
Figure 12-1: Add Substitution dialog box

3. In the Mutation field, enter the mutation, and optionally, add comments for the added
mutation.

Mutation Surveyor automatically calculates the optimal values for the mutation
parameters such as intensity, area, and so on for the mutation based on the
position of the mutation and you should not modify these values. When you add a
substitution, it can be heterozygous (for example, A > AT), or it can be
homozygous (for example, A > T).

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4. Optionally, to add multiple tags for the substitution, right-click anywhere in the db_xref
pane, and on the context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for a tag and
identifier is added to the pane.
5. Click OK.
The mutation trace is updated with the substitution. The Mutation table in the GAD and
in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.

To add a homozygous indel call

1. Open the mutation project in the GAD.
2. Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then click the mobility line at the position of the indel
in the mutation trace.
The Add Indel dialog box opens.
Figure 12-2: Add Indel dialog box

3. Add the Indel call as appropriate.

• If you are adding a homozygous insertion, select Insertion on the Mutation Type
dropdown list, and then in the Start of GenBank Index field, enter the positions that
flank the insertion as two numbers delimited by an underscore. For example,
30746_30747 means that an insertion exists between base 30746 and base 30747.
The length of the insertion is determined by the Mutation Letters parameter.
• If you are adding a homozygous deletion, then in the Start of GenBank Index field,
enter the actual positions of the deletion. For example, 30746_30748 means that
three bases were deleted from the sample—the base at position 30746, the base at
position 30747, and the base at 30748.
4. Optionally, to add multiple tags for the indel, right-click anywhere in the db_xref pane,
and on the context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for a tag and
identifier is added to the pane.

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5. Click OK.
The mutation trace is updated with the homozygous indel. The Mutation table in the
GAD is updated to show this new mutation.

If you add a homozygous insertion and the bases that are inserted are identical the
bases that precede them, then the mutation code is corrected in the Mutation table
to reflect this duplication. See “Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation
codes” on page 131.

To add or edit a heterozygous indel (The Het-Indel tool)

You use the Heterozygous Indel Detection tool (Het-Indel tool) to add or edit heterozygous
mutation calls to a mutation trace. You can open the Het-Indel tool in one of two ways:
• Click the Detect Heterozygous Indels button on the GAD toolbar.
• Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then click the mobility line at the position of the indel
in the mutation trace in the GAD to open the Add Indel dialog box, and then on the Add
Indel dialog box, click Heterozygous Indel.
Figure 12-3: Heterozygous Indel Detection window

The Heterozygous Indel Detection tool deconvolutes the mixed mutation trace into two clean
traces. The Conserved trace shows the allele within the mixed trace that matches to the
reference trace. The Mutant trace shows the allele within the mixed trace that does not match
to the reference trace. The tool then estimates the percent contribution of conserved allele

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and mutant allele. Mutation Surveyor uses several ideal peaks within the sample trace,
determines the median height of the mutant allele at these locations and calculates the
percent of mutant allele (M) as [M/(M+C)] and the conserved allele (C) as [C/(M+C)].
Finally, Mutation Surveyor repositions the mutant trace so that it aligns to the reference trace
and then determines whether the mutation was a heterozygous insertion or a heterozygous
deletion. The indel positions are numbered relative to the positions in the reference
sequence, and not to the genomic positions in the GenBank file. You can use the functions
that are available from the window’s toolbar for adding and editing heterozygous indel calls
to the mutation trace.

When you add a heterozygous indel call to a trace or move the call upstream in the
trace, the end of the comparison region is moved to the site of the heterozygous
indel. As a result, all automatically added mutation calls that are downstream of
the heterozygous indel are now outside of the comparison region and Mutation
Surveyor deletes these calls. You can manually add mutation calls outside of the
comparison region, but reliably automating these calls in these regions is not
possible.

1. On the Heterozygous Indel Detection toolbar, click Mutation.

The Add/Edit Het-Indel dialog box opens.

For a complete description of all the buttons on the Heterozygous Indel Detection
toolbar, see “Heterozygous Indel Detection window toolbar” on page 334.

Figure 12-4: Add/Edit Het-Indel dialog box

2. On the Mutation Type dropdown list, select the mutation type.

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3. Do one of the following:

• If you are adding a heterozygous insertion, then in the Start Index of Reference field,
enter the reference positions that flank the insertion as two numbers delimited by an
underscore. For example, 135_136 means that an insertion exists between base 135
and 136 of the reference. The length of the insertion is determined by the Mutation
Letters parameter.
• If you are adding a heterozygous deletion, then in the Start Index of Reference field,
enter the actual positions of the deletion. For example, 235_237 means that three
bases were deleted from the sample—the base at reference position 235, the base at
reference position 236, and the base at reference position 237.
4. Optionally, to add multiple tags for the het-indel, right-click anywhere in the db_xref
pane, and on the context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for a tag and
identifier is added to the pane.
5. Click OK.
Three results are possible:
• The mutation trace is updated with the insertion or deletion. The Mutation table in
the GAD and in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.

If you add a heterozygous insertion and the bases that are inserted are identical to
the bases that precede them, then the mutation code is corrected in the Mutation
table to reflect this duplication. See “Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation
codes” on page 131.

• If Mutation Surveyor cannot deconvolute the mixed trace after you have added an
insertion or deletion call because of poor trace quality, or because of the complexity
of the call, then a warning message opens, indicating that Mutation Surveyor cannot
display the mutation call as you have specified and asking you if you want to keep it.
Click Yes to save the mutation call to the trace. The Mutation table in the GAD and
in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.
• A message opens indicating that Mutation Surveyor was able to detect a different
mutation call than the one specified and asking if you want to use Mutation
Surveyor’s call. Click No to save the mutation call as you have specified it.

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Heterozygous Indel Detection window toolbar

The Heterozygous Indel Detection window toolbar contains buttons that are specific for
working with the display and for changing the information that is displayed.
Figure 12-5: Heterozygous Indel Detection window toolbar

Option/Button Description
Zoom In—Zooms in on a region of the report for viewing.
Note: You can also manually zoom in on a region for viewing. Click and hold
the left mouse button and draw a box from the upper left hand corner of
the pane towards the lower right hand corner. A box is formed around the
area that is being reduced for viewing.
Zoom Out—Zooms out from a region of the report for viewing.
Note: You can also manually zoom out from a region for viewing. Click and hold
the left mouse button and draw a box from the lower right hand corner of
the pane towards the upper left hand corner. The magnification for
zooming out is always 100%.
Show Lines—Provides options for showing all nucleotides in the traces and
mutation traces, hiding all nucleotides in the traces and mutation traces, or
showing only selected nucleotides in the traces and mutation traces.
Settings—Opens a menu that contains selections for the layout of the display and
for navigating the display.
• Y auto—Clear this option to turn off the Y-axis auto-scaling for each of the
traces.
• Mouse Zoom—Clear this option to turn off the mouse zooming functions. (You
can use only the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons to change the zoom level of
the display.)
• Show Grid—Clear this option to remove the grid from the traces.
Print Preview—Opens the Preview window, which displays a preview of what is to
be printed for the Heterozygous Indel display. You can use the options on the
Preview window’s toolbar to adjust variables such as the color scale and the page
layout before you print the display.
Note: Before you click the Print Preview button, make sure to adjust the zoom
level so that the area of the display that you want to print is displayed in
the Preview window.
Auto Identify the Start—Runs a more rigorous detection algorithm for
deconvoluting the mixed trace and aligning the mutant trace to the reference
trace.
Note: Typically, you run this algorithm if you think that Mutation Surveyor made
an incorrect het-indel call, or that het-indel call is missing.
Mutation Opens the Add/Edit Het-Indel dialog box which contains options for adding or
editing a het-indel call in a mutation trace. See “To add or edit a heterozygous
indel (The Het-Indel tool)” on page 331 or “To edit heterozygous indels” on page
337.
Forward/ Indicates the sample trace that is currently displayed in the window.
Reverse

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Editing Mutation Calls

When you edit a mutation call, you can keep the mutation call type the same at the position,
or you can change the call type at the position. If a mutation call of one type was made at a
given position and you want to have a call of another type at the position, then you should
first delete the original mutation call at the position, and then add the different type of
mutation call at the position. You can edit substitution calls, you can edit homozygous indels,
you can edit heterozygous indels, and you can edit Del/Ins.

To edit substitutions
You can edit a substitution call from the GAD or from the Project Reviewer.
1. Right-click the call in the Mutation table in the GAD, or in the Project Reviewer, and on
the context menu that opens, click Edit.
The Edit Substitution dialog box opens.
Figure 12-6: Edit Substitution dialog box

2. In the Mutation field, enter the mutation, and optionally, add comments for the modified
mutation.

Mutation Surveyor automatically calculates the optimal values for the mutation
parameters such as intensity, area, and so on for the mutation based on the
position of the mutation and you should not modify these values. When you add a
substitution, it can be heterozygous (for example, A > AT), or it can be
homozygous (for example, A > T).

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3. Optionally, to add multiple tags for the substitution, right-click anywhere in the db_xref
pane, and on the context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for a tag and
identifier is added to the pane.
4. Click OK.
The mutation trace is updated with the substitution. The Mutation table in the GAD and
in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.

To edit homozygous indels

You can edit a homozygous indel call from the GAD or from the Project Reviewer.
1. Right-click the call in the Mutation table in the GAD or in the Project Reviewer, and on
the context menu that opens, click Edit.
The Edit Indel dialog box opens.
Figure 12-7: Edit Indel dialog box

2. Edit the indel call as appropriate.

• If you are editing a homozygous insertion, then in the Start of GenBank Index field,
enter the positions that flank the insertion as two numbers delimited by an
underscore. For example, 30746_30747 means that an insertion exists between base
30746 and base 30747. The length of the insertion is determined by the Mutation
Letters parameter.
• If you are editing a homozygous deletion, then in the Start of GenBank Index field,
enter the actual positions of the deletion. For example, 30746_30748 means that
three bases were deleted from the sample—the base at position 30746, the base at
position 30747, and the base at 30748.
3. Optionally, to add multiple tags for the homozygous indel, right-click anywhere in the
db_xref pane, and on the context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for
a tag and identifier is added to the pane.

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4. Click OK.
The mutation trace is updated with the homozygous indel. The Mutation table in the
GAD and in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.

If you add a homozygous insertion and the bases that are inserted are identical to
the bases that precede them, then the mutation code is corrected in the Mutation
table to reflect this duplication. See “Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation
codes” on page 131.

To edit heterozygous indels

You use the Heterozygous Indel Detection tool (Het-Indel tool) to add or edit heterozygous
mutation calls to a mutation trace.
1. Do one of the following to open the Het-Indel tool:
• Double-click the het-indel call in the Mutation report to open the Heterozygous Indel
Detection tool.

• Click the Detect Heterozygous Indels button on the GAD toolbar.

• Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then click the mobility line at the position of the
indel in the mutation trace in the GAD to open the Add Indel dialog box, and then on
the Add Indel dialog box, click Heterozygous Indel.
Figure 12-8: Heterozygous Detection window

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2. On the Heterozygous Indel Detection toolbar, click Mutation.

The Add/Edit Het-Indel dialog box opens.
Figure 12-9: Add/Edit Het-Indel dialog box

3. On the Mutation Type dropdown list, select the mutation type.

4. Do one of the following:
• If you are adding a heterozygous insertion, then in the Start Index of Reference field,
enter the positions of the reference that flank the insertion as two numbers delimited
by an underscore. For example, 135_136 means that an insertion exists between base
135 and 136 of the reference. The length of the insertion is determined by the
Mutation Letters parameter.
• If you are adding a heterozygous deletion, then in the Start Index of Reference field,
enter the reference positions of the deletion. For example, 235_237 means that three
bases were deleted from the sample—the base at reference position 235, the base at
reference position 236, and the base at reference position 237.
5. Optionally, to add multiple tags for the heterozygous indel, right-click anywhere in the
db_xref pane, and on the context menu that opens, click Add Line. A new blank line for
a tag and identifier is added to the pane.
6. Click OK.
Three results are possible:
• The mutation trace is updated with the insertion or deletion. The Mutation table in
the GAD and in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.

If you add a heterozygous insertion and the bases that are inserted are identical to
the bases that precede them, then the mutation code is corrected in the Mutation
table to reflect this duplication. See “Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation
codes” on page 131.

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• If Mutation Surveyor cannot deconvolute the mixed trace after you have added an
insertion or deletion call because of poor trace quality, or because of the complexity
of the call, then a warning message opens, indicating that Mutation Surveyor cannot
display the mutation call as you have specified and asking you if you want to keep it.
Click Yes to save the mutation call to the trace. The Mutation table in the GAD and
in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show this new mutation.
• A message opens indicating that Mutation Surveyor was able to detect a different
mutation call than the one specified and asking if you want to use Mutation
Surveyor’s call. Click No to save the mutation call as you have specified it.

To edit Del/Ins
A Del/Ins is a combination of a deletion and an insertion at the same location. In many cases,
you must edit such a mutation call to get the correct mutation call output. The following is a
summary of the approaches that SoftGenetics recommends for adding and editing
homozygous and heterozygous Del/Ins.

To edit a homozygous Del/Ins

1. You might initially need to delete substitutions that were falsely identified at these
positions.
2. If no homozygous Indel was identified, then add the homozygous deletion as described
in “To add a homozygous indel call” on page 330.
3. At the same starting position, add the homozygous insertion as described in “To add a
homozygous indel call” on page 330.

To edit a heterozygous Del/Ins

1. Do one of the following to pen the Heterozygous Indel Detection tool.
• Double-click the het-indel call in the Mutation report to open the Heterozygous
Detection tool.

• Click the Detect Heterozygous Indels button on the GAD toolbar.

• Press and hold the [Ctrl] key, and then click the mobility line at the position of the
indel in the mutation trace in the GAD to open the Add Indel dialog box, and then on
the Add Indel dialog box, click Heterozygous Indel.
2. Edit Mutation1 to the heterozygous deletion relative to reference trace positions.

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3. Add Mutation2 as the heterozygous insertion relative to reference trace positions.

Two results are possible:
• The mutation trace is updated with the insertion or deletion. The Mutation table in
the GAD and in the Project Reviewer are also updated to show these modified
mutations.

If you add a heterozygous insertion and the bases that are inserted are identical
the bases that precede them, then the mutation code is corrected in the Mutation
table to reflect this duplication. See “Insertion, duplication, and deletion mutation
codes” on page 131.

• If Mutation Surveyor cannot deconvolute the mixed trace after you have edited an
insertion or deletion call because of poor trace quality, or because of the complexity
of the call, then one of two warning messages opens:
• A warning message opens indicating that Mutation Surveyor cannot display the
mutation call as you have specified and asking you if you want to keep it. Click
Yes to save the mutation call to the trace. The Mutation table in the GAD and in
the Project Reviewer are also updated to show these modified mutations.
• A warning message opens asking you if you want to use the mutation call that is
automatically detected at the position. Click No to the save the mutation calls as
you have specified them. The Mutation table in the GAD and in the Project
Reviewer are also updated to show these modified mutations.

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Annotating Reported Variations

You can annotate reported variations in a sample trace from the GAD or from the Project
Reviewer report. Mutation Surveyor automatically modifies the GenBank file that is stored
for the selected project with these annotations.

To annotate a variation
1. Right-click the call in the Mutation table in the GAD, or in the Project Reviewer report,
and on the context menu that opens, click Edit.

Remember, a reported variant has a purple background in the Mutation table in

the GAD and Project Reviewer report.

An Edit (mutation type) dialog box opens. The type of dialog box that opens depends on
the type of mutation call that was selected for annotation (Substitution or Indel) but both
dialog boxes have the lower db_xref pane. The pane is automatically populated with all
the reported annotations for the position.
Figure 12-10: db_xref pane

2. Optionally, to modify an existing annotation, select a new tag for it on the tag dropdown
list.
3. To add a new annotation, right-click in the pane, and on the context menu that opens,
click Add a Line.
A new blank line is added for the annotation.
4. On the tag dropdown list, select a tag for the new annotation.
5. In the Identifier field, enter the identifier for the new annotation.

If you add an annotation in error, or want to delete an existing annotation, right-

click the annotation in the db_xref pane, and on the context menu that opens, click
Delete a Line.

6. Click OK.
Mutation Surveyor automatically adds the new annotations to the GenBank file that is
stored for the selected project.

You can use the Extract SGP tool to export the updated GenBank file. See “Extract
SGP Tool” on page 275.

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Creating a User Knowledge Database for

Known Deletions
Mutation Surveyor automatically identifies mutation calls at positions where the variation
between the reference trace and the sample trace meet or exceed detection thresholds. If,
however, you know that a mutation is being called as the result of a false positive or a
sequencing artifact, and the GenBank file that was used for the project contains chromosome
information, then you can delete the called mutation and add this deletion to a User
Knowledge database. For this User Knowledge database, a false positive and an artifact are
defined as follows:
• A false positive is dependent on the chromosome position. As a result, this same variant
is considered to be a false positive for all subsequent analyses.
• An artifact is dependent on not only the chromosome position, but also its relative
location in the trace. For example, in one trace, a variant is located at the 5’ end of the
trace, but in another trace, the same variant is located in the middle of the trace. As a
result, if this variant is marked as an artifact in the trace where it was found at the 5’ end,
the variant is not considered to be an artifact in the trace where it was located in the
middle.

For an artifact, the User Knowledge Database stores a range of positions, relative
to location within a trace. This is more ideal for mutation calls that routinely
occur at the beginning or end of an amplicon as a mutation call that is centered in
an amplicon is more than likely to be a real mutation.

You can use this custom database of known deletions in other projects. If a trace in a project
has a mutation called at a position that has been identified as a false positive or artifact in the
User Knowledge database, then Mutation Surveyor automatically flags the position, which
streamlines the process of identifying variations of clinical significance for the project.

To create a custom variant database for known deletions

1. Right-click the call in the Mutation table in the GAD or in the Project Reviewer, and on
the context menu that opens, click Delete Mutation and Add to Database.
The Delete Mutation dialog box opens.
Figure 12-11: Delete Mutation dialog box

342 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Chapter 12
Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects

The Delete Mutation and Add to Database option is available only if the
requirements of an imported whole human genome reference and the inclusion of
a GenBank file with chromosome coordinate in the project are met.

2. Do one of the following:

• To delete the mutation without adding it to the User Knowledge database, click OK.
• To add the mutation to the User Knowledge database, select Add to User Knowledge
Database, and then complete the remaining steps in this procedure.
3. Leave the reason for the deletion set to the default value of False Positive, or select
Artifact.
4. Click OK.
The Delete Mutation dialog box closes. The deleted mutation (position and reason) are
saved to the User Knowledge database. If a trace in another project has a mutation called
at this exact position, then Mutation Surveyor automatically flags this position.

Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual 343

Chapter 12
Reviewing and Editing Mutation Projects

Viewing the Edit History (Audit Trail) for a

Mutation
Analysis options are available for a mutation in a variety of locations in Mutation Surveyor,
including various reports and displays and the context menus for the Mutation table and the
GAD. Any edit action (addition, substitution, confirmation, or deletion) that you carry out
for a mutation is displayed in the Actions column for the mutation in the Mutation table and
this action is also automatically added to the audit trail for the mutation. An option is
available from all these locations to view the edit history for a mutation. To view the edit
history for a mutation, right-click the mutation (for example, in the Mutation table), and on
the context menu that opens, click View Edit History to open the Edit History dialog box.
Figure 12-12: Edit History dialog box

The lower half of the Edit History dialog box displays all the edit operations that have been
carried for the selected mutation. The date and time and the username for the user who
carried out the edit is displayed for each edit. When you select an edit entry in the lower
pane, a selected series of old and new values is displayed in the upper half of the dialog box.
If the edit resulted in a change for a mutation value, then the old and new values are
highlighted in red.

344 Mutation Surveyor User’s Manual

Index

Numerics toolbar .....................................197

viewing and analysis options ..197
Contig tab on the Mutation Project
Settings dialog box.......................55
conventions used
2 Directions tab on the Mutation Browser pane
Project Settings dialog box .......... 65 in Mutation Surveyor .................31
Mutation Surveyor main window...

A
27 in the manual.............................15

C
Copyright........................................3
Custom report
activity log file
Color tab..................................176
viewing for your Mutation Surveyor CDS information
users ......................................... 43 Confidence mark for................173
adding and modifying for a SEQ
Advanced GBK File Editor tool .. 231 file in the SEQ File Editor tool .246 creating a template for ............164
functions ................................. 243 Clinical report.............................116 defined ....................................164
GenBank Tree File pane......... 233 color codes Display tab ..............................172
Tabs pane............................... 235 for mutation codes in the Mutation Filters tab ................................170
report.......................................130
toolbar..................................... 232 Format tab...............................166
Color tab for a Custom report ....176
Advanced Two Direction report . 140 Mutation tab ............................173
Confidence mark
context menu .......................... 144 Nomenclature tab....................177
for Custom report ....................173
toolbar..................................... 142 Other tab .................................179
for JHU report .........................187
viewing and analysis options .. 144 Customer reports
consensus sequence text function in
allele ratios Bentley report..........................196
the Project Sample Assembly
quantifying for Sanger sequencing subreport....................................151 Emory report ...........................193
traces ...................................... 303
context menu Full Gene report ......................215
Amino Acid frame in the Graphical
Advanced Two Direction report .... FullBase report........................222
Analysis Display .......................... 79
144
JHU report...............................185
amino acid text comparison function
Bentley report..........................198
in the Project Sample Assembly Methylation report ...................203
subreport ................................... 154 Emory report ...........................194
Graphic Display of Methylations
assumptions for the manual ........ 16 Full Gene report ......................220 report.....................................205
audit trail HGVS report ...........................161 MSM_Song report ...................196
see edit history JHU report...............................188 PrettyBase report ....................200

B
Methylation report ...................206 Tassel report ...........................190
MSM_Song report...................198 Vertex report ...........................207
Mutation report........................132 Vertex2 report .........................209
BasePatch tool .......................... 295
PrettyBase report ....................202 Vertex3 report .........................212
Bentley report ............................ 196
Project report ..........................155
context menu .......................... 198
Project Reviewer report ..........101
report settings ......................... 198
Two Direction report................137

Muation Surveyor User’s Manual 345

Index

D report settings .........................222

toolbar .....................................223
annotating reported variations in
its mutation traces .................. 341
defined...................................... 77
Database tab viewing and analysis options...224
exporting information for........... 94
on the Mutation Project Settings functions
dialog box..................................69 mutation peak identification...... 82
in the Advanced GBK File Editor
Del/Ins tool ..........................................243 Mutation table........................... 83
defined ....................................339 in the SEQ File Editor tool.......250 mutation trace legend in ........... 80
editing for a mutation trace .....339
G
navigation and viewing options for
90
Display tab for a Custom report .172
opening..................................... 77
Display tab on the Mutation Project
GAD
Settings dialog box ......................64 toolbar for ................................. 84
see Graphical Analysis Display

E
Graphical Analysis Display
GAD report.................................114 components
toolbar .....................................115 Amino Acid frame ..................... 79
edit history
GenBank file Nucleotide Sequence frame ..... 78
viewing for a mutation .............344
adding and modifying variations Sample Traces frame ............... 79
Emory report ..............................193 for in the Advanced GBK File
Tracks frame ............................ 79
Editor tool ................................241
context menu ..........................194
graphical output
as a project file type in Mutation
toolbar .....................................193
Surveyor....................................50 conventions used for in Mutation
viewing and analysis options ..194 Surveyor ................................... 25
automatically downloading for a
Export GAD function project .......................................51 Graphical reports
defined ......................................94 downloading from NCBI ..........227 Clinical report ......................... 116
editing and annotating with the GAD report ............................. 114
F Advanced GBK File Editor tool231
overview of ..............................227
Graphic Display report............ 108
Project Display subreport ..... 111
Filters tab for a Custom report ...170 GenBank Tree File pane
Nucleotide Text Display report 120
Format tab for a Custom report..166 Advanced GBK File Editor tool233
Project Display subreport ....... 111
Full Gene report .........................215 genomic terms
Project Reviewer report............ 99
context menu ..........................220 conventions used for in Mutation
group
Format report settings.............216 Surveyor....................................24
defined...................................... 38
Header report settings ............217 Graphic Display of Methylations
report..........................................205 adding....................................... 38
Output report settings .............217
Graphic Display report ...............108 deleting..................................... 38
toolbar .....................................219
layout.......................................109 editing....................................... 38
viewing and analysis options ..220
toolbar .....................................110
FullBase report ..........................222
Graphical Analysis Display
layout ......................................223

346 Muation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Index

H L adding to the User Knowledge

Database when deleted ..........342
viewing the edit history for.......344
heterozygous indel layout
Mutation AutoRun tool
adding to a mutation trace in the FullBase report........................223
comparison region .................. 331 Log File Wizard in ...................317
Graphic Display report ............109
adding to a mutation trace outside using to analyze multiple projects .
Nucleotide Text Display report 121
the comparison region ............ 331 324
Project Reviewer report ............99
editing for a mutation trace ..... 337 mutation calls
SEQ File Editor tool ................247
Heterozygous Indel Detection tool... adding to a mutation trace.......329
331 Two Direction report................134
editing for a mutation trace......335
HGVS report .............................. 157 Vertex3 report .........................213
mutation code
context menu .......................... 161
report settings ......................... 157 M defined ....................................129
mutation codes
toolbar..................................... 160
main menu color codes for in the Mutation
viewing and analysis options .. 161 report.......................................130
Mutation Surveyor main window...
homozygous indel 26 Two Direction report................136
adding to a mutation trace ...... 330 main window for Mutation Surveyor . mutation peak identification in the
26 Graphical Analysis Display ..........82
editing for a mutation trace ..... 336
methylated DNA Mutation Project Settings dialog box

I analyzing.................................301 2 Directions tab .........................65

Methylation report ......................203 Contig tab..................................55
Input tab on the Mutation Project
context menu ..........................206 Database tab.............................69
Settings dialog box ...................... 54
report settings .........................204 Display tab ................................64
installing
toolbar .....................................204 Input tab ....................................54
Mutation Surveyor..................... 22
mobility line Mutation tab ..............................59

J defined ......................................82 Others tab .................................67

Modify Mutation Projects function Output tab .................................62
JHU report ................................. 185
defined ....................................315 Mutation Quantifier function
Confidence mark for ............... 187
using .......................................315 defined ....................................303
context menu .......................... 188
MSM_Song report......................196 running ....................................303
report settings ......................... 187
context menu ..........................198 Mutation report...........................127
toolbar..................................... 186
report settings .........................198 context menu...........................132
viewing and analysis options .. 187
toolbar .....................................197 report codes ............................129
viewing and analysis options ..197 report fields .............................128
mutation settings

Muation Surveyor User’s Manual 347

Index

variation tracks........................87 editing a heterozygous indel for ... context menu.......................... 202
337
viewing and analysis options ..132 report settings......................... 201
editing a homozygous indel for ....
Mutation Surveyor toolbar .................................... 200
336
conventions viewing and analysis options.. 201
editing a substitution for ..........335
genomic terms ........................24 project
editing the annotations in ........341
mutation terms ........................24 analyzing multiple projects using
editing the mutation calls for ...335
the Mutation AutoRun tool...... 324
reports and graphical output ...25
reprocessing with the BasePatch
automatically downloading a
installing ....................................22 tool ..........................................295
GenBank file for........................ 51
main window .............................26 mutation trace legend in the
modifying single or multiple .... 315
Graphical Analysis Display ..........80
Browser pane..........................27
modifying the settings for ......... 52
mutation_server_project_settings 52
main menu ..............................26
setting up in Mutation Surveyor 70
title bar ....................................26
toolbar.....................................27
N Project Display subreport .......... 111
report settings......................... 111
project file types ........................50 Nomenclature tab for a Custom
toolbar .................................... 113
report..........................................177
setting up a project in................70
project file types
Nucleotide Sequence frame in the
starting ......................................23 Graphical Analysis Display ..........78 GenBank file............................. 50
system requirements for ...........21 Nucleotide Text Display report ...120 reference file............................. 50
Mutation tab for a Custom report .... layout.......................................121 sample file ................................ 50
173
settings....................................120 Project report............................. 146
Mutation tab on the Mutation Project
Settings dialog box ......................59 toolbar .....................................122 context menu.......................... 155

O
Mutation table in the Graphical report settings......................... 146
Analysis Display...........................83
toolbar .................................... 148
mutation terms
viewing and analysis options.. 155
organization of the manual...........16
conventions used for in Mutation
Project Reviewer report
Surveyor....................................24 Other tab for a Custom report ....179
annotating reported variations in
mutation trace Others tab
its mutation traces .................. 341
adding a heterozygous indel to in on the Mutation Project Settings
context menu.......................... 101
the comparison region ............331 dialog box..................................67
layout........................................ 99
adding a heterozygous indel to Output tab on the Mutation Project
outside the comparison region 331 Settings dialog box.......................62 report settings......................... 104
adding a homozygous indel to 330 overview toolbar .................................... 102
adding a substitution to ...........329 GenBank file............................227 Project Sample Assembly subreport
150
adding mutation calls to ..........329
editing a Del/Ins for .................339 P amino acid text comparison
function in ............................... 154
PrettyBase report .......................200

348 Muation Surveyor User’s Manual

 Index

consensus sequence text function

in ............................................. 151 S editing for a mutation trace......335
system requirements for Mutation
sequence text comparison Surveyor.......................................21
sample file
function in ............................... 152
Project Viewer report ................... 99
as a project file type in Mutation
Surveyor....................................50 T
R Sample Traces frame in the
Graphical Analysis Display ..........79
Tabs pane
Advanced GBK File Editor tool235
legend for ..................................80
reference file
Tassel report ..............................190
mobility line in ...........................82
as a project file type in Mutation
toolbar .....................................191
Surveyor ................................... 50 mutation peak detection in ........82
viewing and analysis options...192
report codes Sanger sequencing traces
template
Mutation report........................ 129 quantifying the allele ratios for 303
creating for a Custom report ...164
report fields SEQ file
title bar
Mutation report........................ 128 adding and modifying CDS
information for in the SEQ File Mutation Surveyor main window...
report settings
Editor tool................................246 26
Bentley report ......................... 198
SEQ File Editor tool ...................246 toolbar
Full Gene report..............216, 217
functions..................................250 Advanced GBK File Editor tool232
FullBase report ....................... 222
layout ......................................247 Advanced Two Direction report ....
HGVS report ........................... 157 142
sequence text comparison function
JHU report .............................. 187 in the Project Sample Assembly Bentley report..........................197
subreport....................................152
Methylation report ................... 204 Emory report ...........................193
settings
MSM_Song report................... 198 Full Gene report ......................219
Full Gene report ......................217
Nucleotide Text Display report 120 FullBase report........................223
special information about the
PrettyBase report.................... 201 manual .........................................15 GAD report ..............................115
Project Display subreport........ 111 Standard reports Graphic Display report ............110
Project report .......................... 146 Advanced Two Direction report .... Graphical Analysis Display........84
Project Reviewer report .......... 104 140 HGVS report............................160
Two Direction report ............... 136 HGVS report ...........................157 JHU report...............................186
Verrtex3 report........................ 212 Mutation report........................127 Methylation report ...................204
Vertex2 report ......................... 209 Project report ..........................146 MSM_Song report ...................197
reports Project Sample Assembly Mutation Surveyor main window...
subreport...............................150 27
see Graphical reports, Standard
reports, Custom report, or Two Direction report................134 Nucleotide Text Display report 122
Customer reports substitution PrettyBase report ....................200
conventions used for in Mutation adding to a mutation trace ......329 Project Display subreport ........113
Surveyor ................................... 25

Muation Surveyor User’s Manual 349

Index

Project report ..........................148 user management Project report.......................... 155

Project Reviewer report ..........102 configuring.................................31 Tassel report .......................... 192
Tassel report ...........................191 defined ......................................31 Two Direction report ............... 136
Two Direction report................135 turning off ..................................36 Vertex2 report......................... 211
Vertex2 report .........................211 turning on ..................................34 Vertex3 report......................... 214
Vertex3 report .........................214 using the manual..........................15
tools
Advanced GBK File Editor ......231 V
BasePatch...............................295
variations
Heterozygous Indel Detection
adding and modifying in the
(Het_Indel) ..............................331
Advanced GBK File Editor tool241
Mutation AutoRun ...................324
annotating for a mutation trace in
Log File Wizard .....................317 the GAD or from the Project
Reviewer report.......................341
SEQ File Editor .......................246
Vertex report ..............................207
Tracks frame in the Graphical
Analysis Display...........................79 Vertex2 report ............................209
Two Direction report...................134 report settings .........................209
context menu ..........................137 toolbar .....................................211
layout ......................................134 viewing and analysis options...211
mutation codes........................136 Vertex3 report ............................212
report settings .........................136 layout.......................................213
toolbar .....................................135 report settings .........................212
viewing and analysis options ..136 toolbar .....................................214

U
viewing and analysis options...214
viewing and analysis options
Advanced Two Direction report ....
user
144
defined ......................................38
Emory report ...........................194
adding .......................................43
Full Gene report ......................220
deleting .....................................43
FullBase report........................224
editing .......................................43
Graphical Analysis Display........90
viewing the activity for in a log file .
HGVS report............................161
43
JHU report...............................187
User Knowledge Database
Mutation report ........................132
creating for known mutation
deletions..................................342 PrettyBase report ....................201

350 Muation Surveyor User’s Manual

Glossary
comparison region
A region where the sample traces align to the reference traces, and all the mutation project
analysis settings have been met, and therefore, mutations, with the exception of
heterozygous indels, can be called in this region. The comparison region is marked by two
vertical blue bars in the mutation trace.

351
352