[ensembl-dev] Not an ARRAY reference error in VEP.pm

[Michael Yourshaw]

The attached 3 variant file causes "Not an ARRAY reference" error in VEP.pm sub build_slice_cache.

The error happens at VCF line:
19	42471050	rs919390	G	C	68571.33	PASS	AC=179;AF=0.6938;AN=258;DB;DP=3624;Dels=0.00;HRun=0;set=variant2-variant	GT:AD:DP:GQ:PL	...

However, curiously, the error does not happen unless the two preceeding lines are also present.

As best I can figure out, this is what is happening as each variant is processed by the VEP perl script at the line
	print_line($config, $_) foreach @{get_all_consequences($config, \@vfs, $tr_cache, $rf_cache)};

	1. first variant 19:42463050 $rf_cache is empty, and returns from get_all_consequences with {MotifFeatures} having an array of 4 items and {RegulatoryFeatures} having an array of 2 items.

	2. second variant 19:42471049 the populated $rf_cache is passed to get_all_consequences. prune_cache removes the contents of {MotifFeature} and {RegulatoryFeature} from $rf_cache but leaves it populated with empty references to {MotifFeature} and {RegulatoryFeature}. Perhaps this is the Bad Thing.
	at line 2178 in VEP.pm build_slice_cache is not called because $slice_cache is a HASH (empty), so no error is generated

	3. third variant 19:42471050 $rf_cache is passed with the empty references to {MotifFeature} and {RegulatoryFeature}. 
	at line 2178 in VEP.pm  build_slice_cache is called because $slice_cache has no type.
	build_slice_cache then fails at line 2920 in  $slice_cache{$chr} = scalar @{$tr_cache->{$chr}} ? $tr_cache->{$chr}[0]->slice : &get_slice($config, $chr);

	$tr_cache->{$chr} is a HASH (not an ARRAY)
		->{MotifFeature} ARRAY (empty)
		->{RegulatoryFeature} ARRAY (empty)

	scalar @{$tr_cache->{$chr}} fails with error
	Not an ARRAY reference at /share/apps/myourshaw/ensembl/ensembl-variation/modules/Bio/EnsEMBL/Variation/Utils/VEP.pm line 2920, <GEN1> line 150.

I haven’t figured out what exactly is going on with $slice_cache, but I hope this helps.



ॐ

Michael Yourshaw
UCLA Geffen School of Medicine
Department of Human Genetics, Nelson Lab
695 Charles E Young Drive S
Gonda 5554
Los Angeles CA 90095-8348 USA
myourshaw at ucla.edu
970.691.8299

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