Cryo-EM of cardiac AL-224L amyloid reveals shared features in λ6 light chain fibril folds

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Abstract
In amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis, aberrant monoclonal antibody light chains (LCs) deposit in vital organs causing organ damage. Each AL patient features a unique LC. Previous cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) studies revealed different amyloid structures in different AL patients. How LC mutations influence amyloid structures remains unclear. We report a cryo-EM structure of cardiac AL-224L amyloid (2.92 Å resolution) from λ6-LC family, which is overrepresented in amyloidosis. Comparison with λ6-LC structures from two other patients reveals similarities in amyloid folds. Mutation-induced structural differences in AL-224L include altered C-terminal conformation with an exposed ligand-binding surface; an enlarged hydrophilic pore with orphan density; and altered steric zipper registry with backbone flipping, which likely represent general adaptive mechanisms in amyloids. The results suggest shared features in λ6-LC amyloid folds and reveal how mutation-induced structural changes influence amyloid-ligand interactions in a patient-specific manner.
Funding Information
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (S10OD032253)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM135158)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM067260)
  • Boston University Amyloid Research Fund
  • Wildflower Foundation Fund
  • Fondo Italiano per la Scienza (FIS00001548)
  • Cariplo–Telethon grant (2022-0578)
  • PNRR grant (ID MUR: CN00000041)

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