Combining Orthology and Xenology Data in a Common Phylogenetic Tree

• In mathematical phylogenetics, types of events in a gene tree T are formalized by vertex labels t(v) and set-valued edge labels λ(e). The orthology and paralogy relations between genes are a special case of a map δ on the pairs of leaves of T defined by δ(x,y)=q if the last common ancestor lca(x,y) of x and y is labeled by an event type q, e.g., speciation or duplication. Similarly, a map εε with m∈ε(x,y) if m∈λ(e) for at least one edge e along the path from lca(x,y) to y generalizes xenology, i.e., horizontal gene transfer. We show that a pair of maps (δ,ε) derives from a tree (T,t,λ) in this manner if and only if there exists a common refinement of the (unique) least-resolved vertex labeled tree (Tδ,tδ) that explains δ and the (unique) least-resolved edge labeled tree (Tε,λε) that explains ε (provided both trees exist). This result remains true if certain combinations of labels at incident vertices and edges are forbidden.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Bioinformatik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Bioinformatics (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Mathematical phylogenetics

Rooted trees

Binary relations

Symbolic ultrametric

Fitch map

Consistency

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)