Polynomial-time algorithms for building a consensus MUL-tree

J Comput Biol. 2012 Sep;19(9):1073-88. doi: 10.1089/cmb.2012.0008.

Abstract

A multi-labeled phylogenetic tree, or MUL-tree, is a generalization of a phylogenetic tree that allows each leaf label to be used many times. MUL-trees have applications in biogeography, the study of host-parasite cospeciation, gene evolution studies, and computer science. Here, we consider the problem of inferring a consensus MUL-tree that summarizes a given set of conflicting MUL-trees, and present the first polynomial-time algorithms for solving it. In particular, we give a straightforward, fast algorithm for building a strict consensus MUL-tree for any input set of MUL-trees with identical leaf label multisets, as well as a polynomial-time algorithm for building a majority rule consensus MUL-tree for the special case where every leaf label occurs at most twice. We also show that, although it is NP-hard to find a majority rule consensus MUL-tree in general, the variant that we call the singular majority rule consensus MUL-tree can be constructed efficiently whenever it exists.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Animals
  • Computational Biology
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Humans
  • Models, Genetic
  • Phylogeny*