2.1.2 Trait Ontology Table

MetaQTL can also use a trait ontology in order to group the QTL in trait categories. The ontology representation handled by MetaQTL is based on a simple hierarchy (such as a taxonomy) where each child has a unique parent. The table which stores the trait ontology is defined by the following fields:

• term_id(integer): the unique identifier of the term.
• term_name(string): the name of the term, i.e the trait name.
• parent_id(integer): the identifier of the unique parent of this term (required except for the root of the ontology).
• synonyms(string): the synonyms of the trait name separated by a coma (then the synonyms must not contain any coma).
• definition(string): the definition of the trait.

For example:

term_id term_name parent_id synonyms definition 1 my_ontology 2 flowering_time 1 3 days_to_pollon_shed 2 4 plant_height 2 5 leaf_number 2 6 silking_date 2

REMARK: The trait ontology must always be rooted (in the previous example the root was my_ontology). Generally, The root is not itself a trait but the name of the ontology.