Functional Consequences of a SDHB Gene Mutation in an Apparently Sporadic Pheochromocytoma

AP Gimenez-Roqueplo, J Favier… - The Journal of …, 2002 - academic.oup.com
AP Gimenez-Roqueplo, J Favier, P Rustin, C Rieubland, V Kerlan, PF Plouin, A Rötig…
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2002academic.oup.com
Three genes encoding for mitochondrial complex II proteins are linked to hereditary
paraganglioma. We have recently shown that an inactivation of the SDHD gene is
associated with a complete loss of mitochondrial complex II activity and a stimulation of the
angiogenic pathway (Gimenez-Roqueplo, AP, J. Favier, P. Rustin, JJ Mourad, PF Plouin, P.
Corvol, A. Rötig, and X. Jeunemaitre, 2001, Am J Hum Genet 69: 1186–1197). Here, we
relate the case of a malignant sporadic pheochromocytoma induced by a germline missense …
Three genes encoding for mitochondrial complex II proteins are linked to hereditary paraganglioma. We have recently shown that an inactivation of the SDHD gene is associated with a complete loss of mitochondrial complex II activity and a stimulation of the angiogenic pathway (Gimenez-Roqueplo, A. P., J. Favier, P. Rustin, J. J. Mourad, P. F. Plouin, P. Corvol, A. Rötig, and X. Jeunemaitre, 2001, Am J Hum Genet 69:1186–1197). Here, we relate the case of a malignant sporadic pheochromocytoma induced by a germline missense mutation of the SDHB gene. Within the tumor, a loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 1pter led to a null SDHB allele and to a complete loss of complex II enzymatic activity. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry experiments showed a high expression of hypoxic-angiogenic responsive genes, similar to that previously observed in inherited-SDHD tumors. This observation highlights the role of the complex II mitochondrial genes in the oxygen-sensing pathway and in the regulation of angiogenesis of neural crest-derived tumors.
Oxford University Press