GPLD1 functions as a scavenger chaperone mediating lysosomal degradation of extracellular aberrant proteins

Loss of proteostasis leads to the accumulation of aberrant proteins, including aggregated proteins and amyloid fibrils, which contribute to various diseases. Protein quality control systems are essential for maintaining proteostasis by removing these aberrant proteins. Although intracellular protein quality control mechanisms are well characterized, the pathways responsible for degradation of aberrant proteins outside the cell remain poorly understood. We previously identified the chaperone– and receptor-mediated extracellular protein degradation (CRED) pathway, in which the extracellular chaperone clusterin binds misfolded proteins and the resulting clusterin–aberrant protein complex is delivered to lysosomes via endocytosis, thereby clearing extracellular aberrant proteins. However, it remains unclear whether other chaperones are involved in the CRED pathway.

To identify novel extracellular chaperones, plasma factors that bind serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) were investigated. Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D1 (GPLD1) was found to directly bind SAA1 in vitro and promote lysosomal degradation of SAA1 in cultured cells. This activity was independent of GPLD1’s cleavage activity for GPI-anchored proteins. Furthermore, we found that GPLD1 mediates lysosomal degradation of misfolded proteins, with cell surface heparan sulfate acting as a receptor for GPLD1. Our data demonstrate that GPLD1 is a novel scavenger chaperone with substrate specificity distinct from clusterin, responsible for degrading extracellular aberrant proteins.