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Filamentous aggregates formed by α-synuclein are a prominent and presumably key etiological factor in Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by motor disorders. Numerous studies have demonstrated that various environmental and intracellular factors affect the fibrillation properties of α-synuclein, e.g. by accelerating the process of assembly. Histones, the major component and constituent of chromatin, interact specifically with α-synuclein and enhance its fibrillation significantly. Here, we report that another component of chromatin, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), either linear or supercoiled, also interacts with wild-type α-synuclein, leading to a significant stimulation of α-synuclein assembly into mature fibrils characterized by a reduced lag phase. In general, the morphology of the fibrils remains unchanged in the presence of linear dsDNA. Electron microscopy reveals that DNA forms …