MetaTreeMap: An Alternative Visualization Method for Displaying Metagenomic Phylogenic Trees

Area of Science:

• Bioinformatics
• Computational Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Metagenomic samples contain numerous species, posing challenges for traditional phylogenetic tree visualization.
• Linear tree representations struggle with legibility and displaying read quantities for large datasets.
• Comparing multiple samples exacerbates these visualization issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an improved visualization method for large-scale metagenomic data.
• To address the legibility and quantitative representation weaknesses of linear phylogenetic trees.
• To provide an accessible tool for exploring and comparing microbial community structures.

Main Methods:

• MetaTreeMap employs a treemap visualization technique using nested rectangles.
• The size of rectangles represents the number or percentage of reads assigned to each phylogenetic node.
• The software offers specific options for phylogenetic trees to enhance data investigation.

Main Results:

• MetaTreeMap effectively visualizes complex phylogenetic trees with numerous nodes.
• The nested rectangle approach clearly illustrates read quantities per species.
• The tool facilitates easier comparison of microbial community composition across multiple samples.

Conclusions:

• MetaTreeMap offers a superior visualization solution for metagenomic data compared to linear trees.
• The software enhances the understanding of species abundance and community structure.
• MetaTreeMap is available online for researchers to analyze and visualize their metagenomic datasets.