UC Riverside

Activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-associated transcription factor ATF6 has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce the secretion and subsequent toxic aggregation of destabilized, amyloidogenic proteins implicated in systemic amyloid diseases. However, the molecular mechanism by which ATF6 activation reduces the secretion of amyloidogenic proteins remains poorly defined. We employ a quantitative interactomics platform to define how ATF6 activation reduces secretion of a destabilized, amyloidogenic immunoglobulin light chain (LC) associated with light-chain amyloidosis (AL). Using this platform, we show that ATF6 activation increases the targeting of this destabilized LC to a subset of pro-folding ER proteostasis factors that retains the amyloidogenic LC within the ER, preventing its secretion. Our results define a molecular basis for the ATF6-dependent reduction in destabilized LC secretion and highlight the advantage for targeting this UPR-associated transcription factor to reduce secretion of destabilized, amyloidogenic proteins implicated in AL and related systemic amyloid diseases.