MR_predictor: a simulation engine for Mendelian Randomization studies

Bioinformatics. 2014 Dec 1;30(23):3432-4. doi: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btu564. Epub 2014 Aug 26.

Abstract

I present MR_predictor, a simulation engine designed to guide the development and interpretation of statistical tests of causality between phenotypes using genetic instruments. MR_predictor provides a framework to model either individual traits or complex scenarios where multiple phenotypes are correlated or dependent on each other. Crucially, MR_predictor can incorporate the effects of multiple biallelic loci (linked or unlinked) contributing genotypic variability to one or more simulated phenotypes. The software has a range of options for sample generation, and output files generated by MR_predictor port into commonly used analysis tools (e.g. PLINK, R), facilitating analyses germane for Mendelian Randomization studies. Benchmarks for speed and power calculations for summary statistic-based Mendelian Randomization analyses are presented and compared with analytical expectation.

Availability and implementation: The simulation engine is implemented in PERL, and the associated scripts can be downloaded from github.com, and online documentation, tutorial and example datasets are available at http://coruscant.itmat.upenn.edu/mr_predictor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Genotype
  • Mendelian Randomization Analysis / methods*
  • Phenotype
  • Software*