Truncation of the constant domain drives amyloid formation by immunoglobulin light chains

AL amyloidosis is a life-threatening disease caused by deposition of immunoglobulin light chains. Whilst the mechanisms underlying light chains amyloidogenesis in vivo remain unclear, several studies have highlighted the role that tissue environment and structural amyloidogenicity of individual light chains have in the disease pathogenesis. AL natural deposits contain both full-length light chains and fragments encompassing the variable domain (VL) as well as different length segments of the constant region (CL), thus highlighting the relevance that proteolysis may have in the fibrillogenesis pathway. Here we investigate the role of major truncated species of the disease-associated AL55 light chain that were previously identified in natural deposits. Specifically, we study structure, molecular dynamics, thermal stability and capacity to form fibrils of a fragment containing both the VL and part of the CL (133-AL55), in comparison with the full-length protein and its variable domain alone, under shear stress and physiological conditions. Whereas the full-length light chain forms exclusively amorphous aggregates, both fragments generate fibrils, although, with different kinetics, aggregate structure and interplay with the unfragmented protein. More specifically, the VL-CL 133-AL55 fragment entirely converts into amyloid fibrils microscopically and spectroscopically similar to their ex vivo counterpart, and increases the amorphous aggregation of full-length AL55. Overall, our data support the idea that light chain structure and proteolysis are both relevant for amyloidogenesis in vivo, and provide a novel biocompatible model of light chain fibrillogenesis suitable for future mechanistic studies.