guide tree convert multfurcating to difurcating

Question

[cara78]

I need to convert a guide tree I got off NCBI. NCBI common taxonomy tree will only give out multi-furcating guide tree such as below. Clustalw, where I need to use it will only accept bifurcating guide trees.

(
'synthetic construct':4,
'unclassified sequences':4,
'Paramecium bursaria Chlorella virus 1':4,
(
(
(
'Picomonas judraskeda':4,
'Palpitomonas bilix':4,
'Metromonas simplex':4
)'unclassified eukaryotes':4,
(
'Rhizomastix libera':4,
..

I have no idea how to convert between the two. Does anyone have any ideas?

Answer 1

[Brice Sarver]

R can randomly resolve multifurcating trees:

library(ape)

a <- read.tree("yourtree.tre")
b <- multi2di(a, random=TRUE)

write.tree(b, "yourtree.bifurcating.tre")