---
name: "Bio::Cluster::UniGene"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "libbio-cluster-perl"
version: "1.7.3-6"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/Bio::Cluster::UniGene"
---

# Bio::Cluster::UniGene(3pm)

UniGene object

## NAME

Bio::Cluster::UniGene - UniGene object

## SYNOPSIS

```
        use Bio::Cluster::UniGene;
        use Bio::ClusterIO;
        $stream  = Bio::ClusterIO->new('-file' => "Hs.data",
                                       '-format' => "unigene");
        # note: we quote -format to keep older perl's from complaining.
        while ( my $in = $stream->next_cluster() ) {
                print $in->unigene_id() . "\n";
                while ( my $sequence = $in->next_seq() ) {
                        print $sequence->accession_number() . "\n";
                }
       }
```

## DESCRIPTION

This UniGene object implements the Bio::Cluster::UniGeneI interface for the representation if UniGene clusters in Bioperl. It is returned by the Bio::ClusterIO parser for unigene format and contains all the data associated with one UniGene record.

This class implements several interfaces and hence can be used wherever instances of such interfaces are expected. In particular, the interfaces are Bio::ClusterI as the base interface for all cluster representations, and in addition Bio::IdentifiableI and Bio::DescribableI.

The following lists the UniGene specific methods that are available (see below for details). Be aware next\_XXX iterators take a snapshot of the array property when they are first called, and this snapshot is not reset until the iterator is exhausted. Hence, once called you need to exhaust the iterator to see any changes that have been made to the property in the meantime. You will usually want to use the non-iterator equivalents and loop over the elements yourself.

**new()** - standard new call

**unigene\_id()** - set/get unigene\_id

**title()** - set/get title (description)

**gene()** - set/get gene

**cytoband()** - set/get cytoband

**mgi()** - set/get mgi

**locuslink()** - set/get locuslink

**homol()** - set/get homologene

**gnm\_terminus()** - set/get gnm\_terminus

**scount()** - set/get scount

**express()** - set/get express, currently takes/returns a reference to an array of expressed tissues

**next\_express()** - returns the next tissue expression from the expressed tissue array

**chromosome()** - set/get chromosome, currently takes/returns a reference to an array of chromosome lines

**next\_chromosome()** - returns the next chromosome line from the array of chromosome lines

**sts()** - set/get sts, currently takes/returns a reference to an array of sts lines

**next\_sts()** - returns the next sts line from the array of sts lines

**txmap()** - set/get txmap, currently takes/returns a reference to an array of txmap lines

**next\_txmap()** - returns the next txmap line from the array of txmap lines

**protsim()** - set/get protsim, currently takes/returns a reference to an array of protsim lines

**next\_protsim()** - returns the next protsim line from the array of protsim lines

**sequences()** - set/get sequence, currently takes/returns a reference to an array of references to seq info

**next\_seq()** - returns a Seq object that currently only contains an accession number

## Implemented Interfaces

This class implementes the following interfaces.

- Bio::Cluster::UniGeneI

  This includes implementing Bio::ClusterI.

- Bio::IdentifiableI

  - Bio::DescribableI

  - Bio::AnnotatableI

  - Bio::Factory::SequenceStreamI

  ## FEEDBACK

### Mailing Lists

User feedback is an integral part of the evolution of this and other Bioperl modules. Send your comments and suggestions preferably to one of the Bioperl mailing lists. Your participation is much appreciated.

```
  bioperl-l@bioperl.org                  - General discussion
  http://bioperl.org/wiki/Mailing_lists  - About the mailing lists
```

### Support

Please direct usage questions or support issues to the mailing list:

*bioperl-l@bioperl.org*

rather than to the module maintainer directly. Many experienced and reponsive experts will be able look at the problem and quickly address it. Please include a thorough description of the problem with code and data examples if at all possible.

### Reporting Bugs

Report bugs to the Bioperl bug tracking system to help us keep track the bugs and their resolution.  Bug reports can be submitted via the web:

```
  https://github.com/bioperl/bioperl-live/issues
```

## AUTHOR - Andrew Macgregor

Email andrew at cbbc.murdoch.edu.au

## CONTRIBUTORS

Hilmar Lapp, hlapp at gmx.net

## APPENDIX

The rest of the documentation details each of the object methods. Internal methods are usually preceded with a "\_".

### new

```
 Title   : new
 Usage   : used by ClusterIO
 Returns : a new Bio::Cluster::Unigene object
```

## Bio::Cluster::UniGeneI methods

### unigene\_id

```
 Title   : unigene_id
 Usage   : unigene_id();
 Function: Returns the unigene_id associated with the object.
 Example : $id = $unigene->unigene_id or $unigene->unigene_id($id)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or an id
```

### title

```
 Title   : title
 Usage   : title();
 Function: Returns the title associated with the object.
 Example : $title = $unigene->title or $unigene->title($title)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a title
```

### gene

```
 Title   : gene
 Usage   : gene();
 Function: Returns the gene associated with the object.
 Example : $gene = $unigene->gene or $unigene->gene($gene)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a gene
```

### cytoband

```
 Title   : cytoband
 Usage   : cytoband();
 Function: Returns the cytoband associated with the object.
 Example : $cytoband = $unigene->cytoband or $unigene->cytoband($cytoband)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a cytoband
```

### mgi

```
 Title   : mgi
 Usage   : mgi();
 Function: Returns the mgi associated with the object.
 Example : $mgi = $unigene->mgi or $unigene->mgi($mgi)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a mgi
```

### locuslink

```
 Title   : locuslink
 Usage   : locuslink();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing locuslink data.
 Returns : An array reference
 Args    : None or an array reference
```

### homol

```
 Title   : homol
 Usage   : homol();
 Function: Returns the homol entry associated with the object.
 Example : $homol = $unigene->homol or $unigene->homol($homol)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a homol entry
```

### restr\_expr

```
 Title   : restr_expr
 Usage   : restr_expr();
 Function: Returns the restr_expr entry associated with the object.
 Example : $restr_expr = $unigene->restr_expr or $unigene->restr_expr($restr_expr)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a restr_expr entry
```

### gnm\_terminus

```
 Title   : gnm_terminus
 Usage   : gnm_terminus();
 Function: Returns the gnm_terminus associated with the object.
 Example : $gnm_terminus = $unigene->gnm_terminus or
           $unigene->gnm_terminus($gnm_terminus)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a gnm_terminus
```

### scount

```
 Title   : scount
 Usage   : scount();
 Function: Returns the scount associated with the object.
 Example : $scount = $unigene->scount or $unigene->scount($scount)
 Returns : A string
 Args    : None or a scount
```

### express

```
 Title   : express
 Usage   : express();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing
           tissue expression data
 Returns : An array reference
 Args    : None or an array reference
```

### chromosome

```
 Title   : chromosome
 Usage   : chromosome();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing
           chromosome lines
 Returns : An array reference
 Args    : None or an array reference
```

### sts

```
 Title   : sts
 Usage   : sts();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing sts lines
 Returns : An array reference
 Args    : None or an array reference
```

### txmap

```
 Title   : txmap
 Usage   : txmap();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing txmap lines
 Returns : An array reference
 Args    : None or an array reference
```

### protsim

```
 Title   : protsim
 Usage   : protsim();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing protsim lines
           This should really only be used by ClusterIO, not directly
 Returns : An array reference
 Args    : None or an array reference
```

### sequences

```
 Title   : sequences
 Usage   : sequences();
 Function: Returns or stores a reference to an array containing
           sequence data.
           This is mostly reserved for ClusterIO parsers. You should
           use get_members() for get and add_member()/remove_members()
           for set.
 Returns : An array reference, or undef
 Args    : None or an array reference or undef
```

### species

```
 Title   : species
 Usage   : $obj->species($newval)
 Function: Get/set the species object for this Unigene cluster.
 Example :
 Returns : value of species (a L<Bio::Species> object)
 Args    : on set, new value (a L<Bio::Species> object or
           the binomial name, or undef, optional)
```

## Bio::ClusterI methods

### display\_id

```
 Title   : display_id
 Usage   :
 Function: Get/set the display name or identifier for the cluster
           This is aliased to unigene_id().
 Returns : a string
 Args    : optional, on set the display ID ( a string)
```

### description

```
 Title   : description
 Usage   : Bio::ClusterI->description("POLYUBIQUITIN")
 Function: get/set for the consensus description of the cluster
           This is aliased to title().
 Returns : the description string
 Args    : Optional the description string
```

### size

```
 Title   : size
 Usage   : Bio::ClusterI->size();
 Function: get for the size of the family,
           calculated from the number of members
           This is aliased to scount().
 Returns : the size of the cluster
 Args    :
```

### cluster\_score

```
 Title   : cluster_score
 Usage   : $cluster ->cluster_score(100);
 Function: get/set for cluster_score which
           represent the score in which the clustering
           algorithm assigns to this cluster.
           For UniGene clusters, there really is no cluster score that
           would come with the data. However, we provide an
           implementation here so that you can score UniGene clusters
           if you want to.
 Returns : a number
 Args    : optionally, on set a number
```

### get\_members

```
 Title   : get_members
 Usage   : Bio::ClusterI->get_members(($seq1, $seq2));
 Function: retrieve the members of the family by some criteria
           Will return all members if no criteria are provided.
           At this time this implementation does not support
           specifying criteria and will always return all members.
 Returns : the array of members
 Args    :
```

## Annotatable view at the object properties

### annotation

```
 Title   : annotation
 Usage   : $obj->annotation($newval)
 Function: Get/set the L<Bio::AnnotationCollectionI> object for
           this UniGene cluster.
           Many attributes of this class are actually stored within
           the annotation collection object as L<Bio::AnnotationI>
           compliant objects, so you can conveniently access them
           through the same interface as you would e.g. access
           L<Bio::SeqI> annotation properties.
           If you call this method in set mode and replace the
           annotation collection with another one you should know
           exactly what you are doing.
 Example :
 Returns : a L<Bio::AnnotationCollectionI> compliant object
 Args    : on set, new value (a L<Bio::AnnotationCollectionI>
           compliant object or undef, optional)
```

## Implementation specific methods

```
 These are mostly for adding/removing to array properties, and for
 methods with special functionality.
```

### add\_member

```
 Title   : add_member
 Usage   :
 Function: Adds a member object to the list of members.
 Example :
 Returns : TRUE if the new member was successfully added, and FALSE
           otherwise.
 Args    : The member to add.
```

### remove\_members

```
 Title   : remove_members
 Usage   :
 Function: Remove the list of members for this cluster such that the
           member list is undefined afterwards (as opposed to zero members).
 Example :
 Returns : the previous list of members
 Args    : none
```

### next\_locuslink

```
 Title   : next_locuslink
 Usage   : next_locuslink();
 Function: Returns the next locuslink from an array referred
           to using $obj->{'locuslink'}
           If you call this iterator again after it returned undef, it
           will re-cycle through the list of elements. Changes in the
           underlying array property while you loop over this iterator
           will not be reflected until you exhaust the iterator.
 Example :      while ( my $locuslink = $in->next_locuslink() ) {
                                print "$locuslink\n";
                        }
 Returns : String
 Args    : None
```

### next\_express

```
 Title   : next_express
 Usage   : next_express();
 Function: Returns the next tissue from an array referred
           to using $obj->{'express'}
           If you call this iterator again after it returned undef, it
           will re-cycle through the list of elements. Changes in the
           underlying array property while you loop over this iterator
           will not be reflected until you exhaust the iterator.
 Example :      while ( my $express = $in->next_express() ) {
                                print "$express\n";
                        }
 Returns : String
 Args    : None
```

### next\_chromosome

```
 Title   : next_chromosome
 Usage   : next_chromosome();
 Function: Returns the next chromosome line from an array referred
           to using $obj->{'chromosome'}
           If you call this iterator again after it returned undef, it
           will re-cycle through the list of elements. Changes in the
           underlying array property while you loop over this iterator
           will not be reflected until you exhaust the iterator.
 Example :      while ( my $chromosome = $in->next_chromosome() ) {
                                print "$chromosome\n";
                        }
 Returns : String
 Args    : None
```

### next\_protsim

```
 Title   : next_protsim
 Usage   : next_protsim();
 Function: Returns the next protsim line from an array referred
           to using $obj->{'protsim'}
           If you call this iterator again after it returned undef, it
           will re-cycle through the list of elements. Changes in the
           underlying array property while you loop over this iterator
           will not be reflected until you exhaust the iterator.
 Example :      while ( my $protsim = $in->next_protsim() ) {
                                print "$protsim\n";
                        }
 Returns : String
 Args    : None
```

### next\_sts

```
 Title   : next_sts
 Usage   : next_sts();
 Function: Returns the next sts line from an array referred
           to using $obj->{'sts'}
           If you call this iterator again after it returned undef, it
           will re-cycle through the list of elements. Changes in the
           underlying array property while you loop over this iterator
           will not be reflected until you exhaust the iterator.
 Example :      while ( my $sts = $in->next_sts() ) {
                                print "$sts\n";
                        }
 Returns : String
 Args    : None
```

### next\_txmap

```
 Title   : next_txmap
 Usage   : next_txmap();
 Function: Returns the next txmap line from an array
           referred to using $obj->{'txmap'}
           If you call this iterator again after it returned undef, it
           will re-cycle through the list of elements. Changes in the
           underlying array property while you loop over this iterator
           will not be reflected until you exhaust the iterator.
 Example :      while ( my $tsmap = $in->next_txmap() ) {
                                print "$txmap\n";
                        }
 Returns : String
 Args    : None
```

## Bio::IdentifiableI methods

### object\_id

```
 Title   : object_id
 Usage   : $string    = $obj->object_id()
 Function: a string which represents the stable primary identifier
           in this namespace of this object. For DNA sequences this
           is its accession_number, similarly for protein sequences
           This is aliased to unigene_id().
 Returns : A scalar
```

### version

```
 Title   : version
 Usage   : $version    = $obj->version()
 Function: a number which differentiates between versions of
           the same object. Higher numbers are considered to be
           later and more relevant, but a single object described
           the same identifier should represent the same concept
           Unigene clusters usually won't have a version, so this
           will be mostly undefined.
 Returns : A number
 Args    : on set, new value (a scalar or undef, optional)
```

### authority

```
 Title   : authority
 Usage   : $authority    = $obj->authority()
 Function: a string which represents the organisation which
           granted the namespace, written as the DNS name for
           organisation (eg, wormbase.org)
 Returns : A scalar
 Args    : on set, new value (a scalar or undef, optional)
```

### namespace

```
 Title   : namespace
 Usage   : $string    = $obj->namespace()
 Function: A string representing the name space this identifier
           is valid in, often the database name or the name
           describing the collection
 Returns : A scalar
 Args    : on set, new value (a scalar or undef, optional)
```

## Bio::DescribableI methods

### display\_name

```
 Title   : display_name
 Usage   : $string    = $obj->display_name()
 Function: A string which is what should be displayed to the user
           the string should have no spaces (ideally, though a cautious
           user of this interface would not assume this) and should be
           less than thirty characters (though again, double checking
           this is a good idea)
           This is aliased to unigene_id().
 Returns : A scalar
 Status  : Virtual
```

### description()

```
 Title   : description
 Usage   : $string    = $obj->description()
 Function: A text string suitable for displaying to the user a
           description. This string is likely to have spaces, but
           should not have any newlines or formatting - just plain
           text. The string should not be greater than 255 characters
           and clients can feel justified at truncating strings at 255
           characters for the purposes of display
           This is already demanded by Bio::ClusterI and hence is
           present anyway.
 Returns : A scalar
```

## Bio::Factory::SequenceStreamI methods

### next\_seq

```
 Title   : next_seq
 Usage   : next_seq();
 Function: Returns the next seq as a Seq object as defined by
           $seq->sequence_factory(),
           at present an empty Bio::Seq::RichSeq object with
           just the accession_number() and pid() set
           This iterator will not exhaust the array of member
           sequences. If you call next_seq() again after it returned
           undef, it will re-cycle through the list of member
           sequences.
 Example :  while ( my $sequence = $in->next_seq() ) {
             print $sequence->accession_number() . "\n";
            }
 Returns : Bio::PrimarySeqI object
 Args    : None
```

### sequence\_factory

```
 Title   : sequence_factory
 Usage   : $seqio->sequence_factory($seqfactory)
 Function: Get/Set the Bio::Factory::SequenceFactoryI
 Returns : Bio::Factory::SequenceFactoryI
 Args    : [optional] Bio::Factory::SequenceFactoryI
```

## Private methods

### \_annotation\_value

```
 Title   : _annotation_value
 Usage   :
 Function: Private method.
 Example :
 Returns : the value (a string)
 Args    : annotation key (a string)
           on set, annotation value (a string)
```

### \_annotation\_value\_ary

```
 Title   : _annotation_value_ary
 Usage   :
 Function: Private method.
 Example :
 Returns : reference to the array of values
 Args    : annotation key (a string)
           on set, reference to an array holding the values
```

### \_annotation\_dblink

```
 Title   : _annotation_dblink
 Usage   :
 Function: Private method.
 Example :
 Returns : array of accessions for the given database (namespace)
 Args    : annotation key (a string)
           dbname (a string) (optional on get, mandatory on set)
           on set, accession or ID (a string), and version
```

### \_remove\_dblink

```
 Title   : _remove_dblink
 Usage   :
 Function: Private method.
 Example :
 Returns : array of accessions for the given database (namespace)
 Args    : annotation key (a string)
           dbname (a string) (optional)
```
