Succinate Dehydrogenase Complex: An Updated Review

Abstract

Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is uniquely tasked with a dual role in the essential energy-producing processes of a cell. Although SDH subunits and assembly factors form part of the same enzyme complex, mutations in their respective genes lead to significantly different clinical phenotypes. Remarkable discoveries in the last 17 years have led to the delineation of the SDH complex deficiency syndrome and its multiple pathogenic branches. Here we provide an updated overview of SDH deficiency in order to raise awareness of its multiple connotations including nonneoplastic associations and pertinent features of the continually growing list of SDH-mutant tumors so as to better direct genetic counseling and predict prognosis.