ERCC6L2 mitigates replication stress and promotes centromere stability [Nascent_DNA_seq]
Structurally complex genomic regions, such as centromeres, are inherently difficult to duplicate. The mechanism that underlies centromere inheritance is not well understood, and one of the key questions relates to the reassembly of centromeric chromatin following DNA replication. Here we define the SNF2 ATPase ERCC6L2 as a key regulator of this process. ERCC6L2 accumulates at centromeres and promotes efficient deposition of core centromeric factors. Our genomic analyses show that ERCC6L2 deficiency erodes centromeric chromatin, leading to unrestrained replication of centromeric DNA. We also establish that, beyond centromeres, ERCC6L2 facilitates replication at genomic repeats and non-canonical DNA structures. Notably, ERCC6L2 interacts with the major DNA replication factor PCNA through an atypical peptide, presented here as a co-crystal structure. Finally, we examine ERCC6L2 activities at DNA breaks, and show that it acts to restrict end resection independently of the 53BP1-REV7-Shieldin complex. Our observations allow us to propose a mechanistic model of ERCC6L2 activity, which reconciles its seemingly distinct functions in DNA repair and DNA replication. Together, these findings provide a new molecular context for studies linking ERCC6L2 to human disease. Overall design: We used nascent DNA sequencing  to map relative positions of newly replicated DNA in ERCC6L2 proficient and ERCC6L2 deficient cells.