TRAIP regulates replication fork recovery and progression via PCNA

PCNA is a central scaffold that coordinately assembles replication and repair machineries at DNA replication forks for faithful genome duplication. Here, we describe TRAIP (RNF206) as a novel PCNA-interacting factor that has important roles during mammalian replicative stress responses. We show that TRAIP encodes a nucleolar protein that migrates to stalled replication forks, and that this is accomplished by its targeting of PCNA via an evolutionarily conserved PIP box on its C terminus. Accordingly, inactivation of TRAIP or its interaction with the PCNA clamp compromised replication fork recovery and progression, and leads to chromosome instability. Together, our findings establish TRAIP as a component of the mammalian replicative stress response network, and implicate the TRAIP-PCNA axis in recovery of stalled replication forks.