# Missing \`mpa\_vOct22\_CHOCOPhlAnSGB\_202403.tsv\` in HUMAnN 4 utility\_mapping database **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature/Pull Request\ **Created:** [November 30, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/missing-mpa-voct22-chocophlansgb-202403-tsv-in-humann-4-utility-mapping-database/8643 "2025-11-30T12:55:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fmerinocasallo](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/fmerinocasallo/32/3368_2.png) [@fmerinocasallo](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/fmerinocasallo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/missing-mpa-voct22-chocophlansgb-202403-tsv-in-humann-4-utility-mapping-database/8643/1 "2025-11-30T12:55:28Z")
Hello, fellow bioBakers! 👋 I’m currently working with **HUMAnN v4.0.0.alpha.1** and **MetaPhlAn v4.1.1 (11 Mar 2024)** for metatranscriptomics analysis, and I’ve encountered an issue with the utility mapping files. ### Problem Description I attempted to download the `utility_mapping` database using: ```bash humann_databases --download utility_mapping full data/databases/humann/ ``` However, the automated download failed due to our institutional network blocking Globus domains (see [this thread](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/humann-4-database-downloads-inaccessible-due-to-globus-data-globus-org-domain-blocking/8642) for details). I had to manually download the `full_mapping_v4_alpha.tar.gz` file from an external server. After extracting the manually downloaded archives, I can see the following files in the `utility_mapping` directory: - `mpa_vJan21_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202103.tsv` - `vOct22_SGB_mapping.tsv` However, I’m using **MetaPhlAn v4.1.1** with the database **`mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403`** , and I notice that the corresponding mapping file **`mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403.tsv`** is missing from the `utility_mapping` folder. I’m not the only one encountering this issue: another user (@fconstancias) reported the same problem in [this thread](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/metaphlan-4-humann-4-compatibility/8523/6), confirming that they also only see `mpa_vJan21_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202103.tsv` and `vOct22_SGB_mapping.tsv` files, but not the `mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403.tsv` file needed for MetaPhlAn v4.1.1 compatibility. ### What I’ve Tried 1. Verified the download was complete by checking the contents of `full_mapping_v4_alpha.tar.gz` (downloaded manually due to network restrictions - see note below) 2. Confirmed that the file is not present in the extracted `utility_mapping` directory 3. Reviewed the `humann_databases.py` script to ensure there’s no post-processing step that should generate this file **Note** : I had to download the database manually from an external server because our institutional network blocks Globus domains (see [this thread](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/humann-4-database-downloads-inaccessible-due-to-globus-data-globus-org-domain-blocking/8642) for details). However, this manual download confirmed that the file is genuinely missing from the package contents, so this is a separate issue from the download accessibility problem. ### Question / Feature Request I would like to clarify whether the `mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403.tsv` file: - Is intentionally excluded from the `full_mapping_v4_alpha.tar.gz` package? - Is available for download from a different location? - Is generated by HUMAnN during runtime from other mapping files? **If this file is missing from the archive** , I would like to request that it be added to future releases of the utility\_mapping database to ensure compatibility with MetaPhlAn v4.1.1 and the `mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403` database. Alternatively, if there’s a way to generate or obtain this file, guidance would be appreciated. ### Environment Details - **HUMAnN version** : v4.0.0.alpha.1 - **MetaPhlAn version** : v4.1.1 (11 Mar 2024) - **MetaPhlAn database** : `mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403` - **Database source** : Downloaded from `http://huttenhower.sph.harvard.edu/humann_data/full_mapping_v4_alpha.tar.gz` Any guidance or clarification would be greatly appreciated! Best regards, Fran 👨‍💻 ---
**Author:** ![fmerinocasallo](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/fmerinocasallo/32/3368_2.png) [@fmerinocasallo](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/fmerinocasallo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2026, 7:45am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/missing-mpa-voct22-chocophlansgb-202403-tsv-in-humann-4-utility-mapping-database/8643/2 "2026-01-28T07:45:37Z")
Just bumping this in case it was missed: the `utility_mapping` archive contains `mpa_vJan21_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202103.tsv` but not `mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403.tsv`, which is needed for **MetaPhlAn v4.1.1** with the **vOct22** database. Could anyone offer any guidance or clarification? I still haven’t found a way around it. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa\_12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a698b9/32.png) [@Lisa\_12](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/Lisa_12)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/missing-mpa-voct22-chocophlansgb-202403-tsv-in-humann-4-utility-mapping-database/8643/3 "2026-02-13T16:12:56Z")
It’s not a bad download. The utility\_mapping in full\_mapping\_v4\_alpha.tar.gz is behind MetaPhlAn v4.1.1, therefore only the earlier vJan21/early vOct22 mappings are included. HUMAnN v4 alpha simply does not ship mpa\_vOct22\_CHOCOPhlAnSGB\_202403.tsv yet. That file is also not generated by HUMAnN during execution. In summary, it is a skew of the HUMAnN–MetaPhlAn version. Hack a mapping from vOct22\_SGB\_mapping.tsv, run MetaPhlAn with a corresponding earlier database, or wait for a utility\_mapping refresh that adds mpa\_vOct22\_CHOCOPhlAnSGB\_202403.tsv. ---
**Author:** ![fmerinocasallo](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/fmerinocasallo/32/3368_2.png) [@fmerinocasallo](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/fmerinocasallo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/missing-mpa-voct22-chocophlansgb-202403-tsv-in-humann-4-utility-mapping-database/8643/4 "2026-02-16T09:51:48Z")
Hey @Lisa_12! 👋 Thanks a lot for your reply, that make sense 🙂 Could you elaborate on how to “hack” a mapping from `vOct22_SGB_mapping.tsv` to generate the corresponding `mpa_vOct22_CHOCOPhlAnSGB_202403.tsv`? Any pointers or steps you recommend would be super helpful! ---
**Author:** ![fconstancias](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/forum.biobakery.org/fconstancias/32/190_2.png) [@fconstancias](https://forum.biobakery.org/u/fconstancias)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 7:11am UTC](https://forum.biobakery.org/t/missing-mpa-voct22-chocophlansgb-202403-tsv-in-humann-4-utility-mapping-database/8643/5 "2026-09-25T07:11:55Z")
Hello everyone.Any update on this? I am surprised there are still no clarification metaphlan humann database compatibility.