Loss of heterozygosity exposes germline mutations in complex I and drives Warburg metabolism in oncocytic carcinoma of the thyroid

Oncocytic (Hürthle cell) carcinoma of the thyroid (OCT) is characterized by widespread loss of heterozygosity (LOH), mitochondrial accumulation and recurrent mitochondrial DNA mutations leading to impairment of complex I. Here, we establish and characterize a novel OCT cell line, UT946, which displays severe mitochondrial electron transport chain dysfunction and a Warburg metabolic phenotype. Using a series of cytoplasmic hybrids, we establish that the complex I defect in UT946 stems from a nuclear-encoded loss of function mutation in the complex I subunit NDUFS1. To our surprise, the mutation in NDUFS1 was inherited as a recessive germline allele that underwent LOH in the tumor to expose functional loss of complex I. A re-analysis of 91 OCT tumor genomes revealed that LOH-driven exposure of recessive germline mutations in complex I subunits was a recurrent mechanism underlying complex I inactivation in OCT. These findings unveil a new germline-driven mechanism of complex I loss and metabolic reprogramming in cancer, and provide further evidence of the strong selective pressure for complex I impairment in OCT.