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A Virtual Machine Platform for Non-Computer Professionals for Using Deep Learning to Classify Biological Sequences of Metagenomic Data
Published on: September 25, 2021
vClassifier: a toolkit for high-resolution phylogenetic classification of prokaryotic viruses
Kun Zhou1,2, James C Kosmopoulos2,3, Karthik Anantharaman2,4,5
1State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
Bioinformatics Advances
|June 29, 2026
Summary
A new phylogeny-informed method and toolkit called vClassifier improve prokaryotic virus classification. It accurately assigns taxonomy at species level, enhancing understanding of viral diversity in ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Virology
- Bioinformatics
Background:
- Prokaryotic viruses are crucial to ecosystems, but their taxonomic classification is challenging.
- Current methods struggle with detailed classification below the family level (genus and species).
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robust methodology for species-level taxonomic assignment of viruses.
- To create a user-friendly toolkit for standardized viral taxonomy.
Main Methods:
- Utilized single-copy marker genes and reference phylogenetic trees for taxonomic assignments.
- Integrated average nucleotide identity for species-level classification.
- Developed the vClassifier toolkit for automated viral taxonomy.
Main Results:
- Achieved 84%-91% congruence with ICTV taxonomy at subfamily and genus levels.
- Reached over 92% congruence with NCBI Virus database for species-level classification.
- vClassifier demonstrated superior or comparable assignment rates to existing tools.
Conclusions:
- The vClassifier toolkit provides objective and consistent viral taxonomic assignments.
- Accurate classification refines understanding of viral diversity in microbiomes and ecosystems.
- vClassifier is publicly available for research use.
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