Cryo-EM reveals structural breaks in a patient-derived amyloid fibril from systemic AL amyloidosis

Nat Commun. 2021 Feb 8;12(1):875. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21126-2.

Abstract

Systemic AL amyloidosis is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that arises from the misfolding and fibrillation of immunoglobulin light chains (LCs). The disease is patient-specific with essentially each patient possessing a unique LC sequence. In this study, we present two ex vivo fibril structures of a λ3 LC. The fibrils were extracted from the explanted heart of a patient (FOR005) and consist of 115-residue fibril proteins, mainly from the LC variable domain. The fibril structures imply that a 180° rotation around the disulfide bond and a major unfolding step are necessary for fibrils to form. The two fibril structures show highly similar fibril protein folds, differing in only a 12-residue segment. Remarkably, the two structures do not represent separate fibril morphologies, as they can co-exist at different z-axial positions within the same fibril. Our data imply the presence of structural breaks at the interface of the two structural forms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Amyloid / ultrastructure*
  • Cryoelectron Microscopy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Light Chains / metabolism
  • Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis / metabolism*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation / genetics
  • Protein Aggregates
  • Protein Conformation

Substances

  • Amyloid
  • Immunoglobulin Light Chains
  • Protein Aggregates