α-Synuclein is Prone to Interaction with the GC-Box-Like Sequence In Vitro

alpha-Synuclein (alpha-syn) is a presynaptic protein that is widely implicated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons and the formation of Lewy bodies. Evidence suggests that alpha-syn could be imported into the nucleus and subsequently disrupt normal neuronal function. The existence of alpha-syn in the nucleus provides the possibility of interaction with DNA leading to gene transcript regulation. Thus, CD spectra were used to determine the specific DNA sequence with which alpha-syn is most likely to interact. Our results indicated that alpha-syn was prone to preferentially interact with the GC-box-like sequence in vitro at a ratio of 2:1 or less (alpha-syn: the GC-box-like sequence).