Detecting mtDNA Effects with an Extended Pedigree Model: An Analysis of Statistical Power and Estimation Bias
摘要
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) plays a crucial role in numerous cellular processes, yet its impact on human complex behavior remains underexplored. The current paper proposes a novel covariance structure model with seven parameters to specifically isolate and quantify mtDNA effects on human complex traits. This approach uses extended pedigrees to obtain estimates of mtDNA variance while controlling for other genetic and environmental influences. Our Monte-Carlo simulations indicate that a sample size of approximately 5,000 individuals is sufficient to detect medium mtDNA effects (