Definition:

DNA annealing helicase and endonuclease required to maintain genome stability at stalled or collapsed replication forks by facilitating fork restart and limiting inappropriate recombination that could occur during template switching events. Recruited to the sites of stalled DNA replication by polyubiquitinated PCNA and acts as a structure-specific endonuclease that cleaves the replication fork D-loop intermediate, generating an accessible 3'-OH group in the template of the leading strand, which is amenable to extension by DNA polymerase. In addition to endonuclease activity, also catalyzes the fork regression via annealing helicase activity in order to prevent disintegration of the replication fork and the formation of double-strand breaks.