VIRI: a visualization tool for tree reconciliations

Area of Science:

• Computational biology
• Evolutionary biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Cophylogeny reconciliation analyzes host-symbiont coevolution by mapping symbiont phylogenies onto host phylogenies.
• Visualizing these reconciliations is crucial for identifying coevolutionary patterns like duplications, co-speciation, host-switches, and extinctions.
• Effective visualization aids in comparing multiple optimal solutions for complex evolutionary scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce VIRI (visual inspector of reconciliation instances), a novel software for visualizing cophylogeny reconciliations.
• Provide biologists with a tool for clearer interpretation of host-symbiont evolutionary relationships.
• Facilitate comparison of different reconciliation scenarios for the same host-symbiont pair.

Main Methods:

• VIRI employs a hybrid visualization metaphor combining space-filling (host trees) and node-link (symbiont trees) approaches.
• Implements algorithms for clear, top-down tree reconciliation layouts.
• Preserves user's mental map across visualizations by maintaining a consistent host tree layout.

Main Results:

• VIRI generates unambiguous and interpretable visualizations of tree reconciliations.
• A novel feature is the consistent shared host tree layout, enabling direct comparison of multiple reconciliations.
• The tool aims for crossing-free visualizations and allows data storage and download of visualizations.

Conclusions:

• VIRI provides an efficient method for producing clear and easy-to-read tree reconciliation visualizations.
• The software is freely available, supporting accessibility for the scientific community.
• VIRI enhances the understanding of host-symbiont coevolutionary dynamics through improved visualization.