Scientific American: Could Mitochondria Be the Key to a Healthy Brain?, 2021, Kwon

Could Mitochondria Be the Key to a Healthy Brain?

Quote:

"Some researchers suspect these bacterial ancestors living within our cells may contribute to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders
[...]
A small but growing number of scientists are now turning their attention to the contributions of mitochondria in brain health. Studies in humans and lab animals — though much of it still preliminary — suggest these organelles could be key players in virtually every type of brain disorder, including neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, psychiatric illnesses like depression and schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. They may even be at the heart of an enduring mystery for researchers who study brain disorders: how genetic predispositions and environmental influences interact to put people at risk for developing these conditions."

The suggestion seems to be that the root of a lot of neurological problems is in mutations in mitochondrial DNA.

If that is the case, then genetic studies (including for ME/CFS) may need to broaden to look at mitochondrial DNA.

 

Yes, normally in humans the mitochodrial DNA comes from the mother. Apparently there are rare instances of some paternal mito DNA being inherited.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternal_mtDNA_transmission