alfasünukleiin

Alfasünukleiin is a fictional biomolecule described in speculative biology and science fiction as a small, DNA- and RNA-binding nucleoprotein imagined to operate within the nucleus of a hypothetical organism. The name combines 'alfa' with 'sünükleiin', a Turkic-inspired transliteration of nuclein, reflecting its genome-regulating role.

In the fictional accounts, alfasünukleiin consists of a compact core domain of roughly 10–12 kilodaltons, rich in positively charged residues that mediate nucleic acid binding. It is flanked by intrinsically disordered tails that interact with other nuclear proteins and chromatin modifiers. Structural models describe a tendency to form weak oligomers, enabling cooperative binding to extended nucleic acid regions.

Proposed functions include modulation of chromatin accessibility, regulation of transcription initiation, and involvement in RNA processing during cellular stress. In some narratives, it acts as a scaffold that concentrates regulatory factors at active genomic loci and helps stabilize transcriptional programs.

Alfasünukleiin first appeared in speculative biology discussions in the 2010s and has since been used as a teaching example of nucleoprotein–nucleic acid interactions. It is not recognized by real-world protein databases and has no verified experimental data, existing mainly as a conceptual tool for worldbuilding.

See also: alpha-synuclein; nucleoprotein.