SDHC mutations in hereditary paraganglioma/pheochromocytoma

Mutations in genes coding for three of the four components of mitochondrial complex II can cause paragangliomas (PGLs)/pheochromocytomas. The three genes include SDHB, -C, and -D. SDHC and SDHD anchor the catalytic subunits SDHA and -B of mitochondrial complex II in the inner mitochondrial membrane. SDHD is maternally imprinted but SDHB and -C are not. While SDHD and – to a lesser degree – SDHB mutations have been found in many cases of hereditary PGL, SDHC mutations are rare. This article reviews the SDHC mutations described to date and discusses possible mechanisms of tumorigenesis.