# Macromolecular models

MacSyFinder relies on the definition of models of macromolecular systems as a set of models’ components to be searched by similarity search, and a set of rules regarding their genomic organization and their requirement level to make a complete system (mandatory, accessory components, number of components required).

See below for more details on MacSyFinder’s modelling scheme and the section on Functioning for the principles of the MacSyFinder’s search engine.

A MacSyFinder model (macsy-model for short) is the association of several elements:

> - a definition which describes the system to detect with a specific XML grammar that is described below.

> - a set of HMM profiles (one per component/gene in the model) to enable the similarity search of the systems’ components with the HMMER program.

The models are grouped by family possibly gathering sub-families (multiple levels allowed), for instance Secretion, Cas-proteins… A set of models from a same family (coherent set) of systems to detect is called hereafter a macsy-model package `NEW in V2`.

Note

For details on how to create your own macsy-models, have a look at the Modeller Guide.

# Installing models

## How to install new models

MacSyFinder does not provide models. You must install models before using it. The `msf_data` utility tool is shipped with MacSyFinder to deal with macsy-models:

msf_data <subcommand> [options]

The main sub-commands are

- `msf_data available` to get the list of macsy-models available

- `msf_data search` to search a model given its name or a pattern in its description

- `msf_data install` to install a macsy-model package (the installed version can be set see –help)

- `msf_data cite` to retrieve information on how to cite the model

- `msf_data definition` to display one or a set of model defintion

- `msf_data --help` to get the extended list of available subcommands

- `msf_data <subcommand> --help` to get help about the specified subcommand

msf_data is `NEW in V2`

## Where the models are located

MacSyFinder looks at several locations to find macsy-models.

### system-wide installation

By default msf_data installs models in a shared location (set by –install-data option) that is /usr/share/macsyfinder/ or /usr/local/share/macsyfinder depending on your Operating System distribution. If you use a virtualenv, the shared resources are located in the <virtualenv>/share/macsyfinder directory.

### user-wide installation

If you don’t own rights to install system-wide, you can install models in the MacSyFinder’s cache located in your home: $HOME/.macsyfinder/data/. msf_data installs packages in this location when you use the –user option. The packages installed in user land is added to the system-wide packages.

Note

If two packages have the same name, the package in the user land supersedes the system-wide package.

### project-wide installation

If you cannot install macsy-model packages in system or user land locations, you can install models in specific directory with the –target option.

> msf_data install –target <my_models>

The specify this specific location with the `--models-dir` command-line option.

> macsyfinder –db-type ordered_replicon –models-dir=my_models –models TFF-SF all –sequence-db my_genome.fasta

The path must point at a directory that contains macsy-model packages as described above.