TRAF and TNF receptor-associated protein (TTRAP) is a multifunctional protein that can act in the nucleus as a 5 0 -tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase and in the cytoplasm as a regulator of cell signaling. In this paper we show that in response to proteasome inhibition TTRAP accumulates in nucleolar cavities in a promyelocytic leukemia protein-dependent manner. In the nucleolus, TTRAP contributes to control levels of ribosomal RNA precursor and processing intermediates, and this phenotype is independent from its 5 0 -tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase activity. Our findings suggest a previously unidentified function for TTRAP and nucleolar cavities in ribosome biogenesis under stress. Cell Death and Differentiation (2012) 19, 488-500; doi:10.1038/cdd.2011; published online 16 September 2011 TRAF and TNF receptor-associated protein (TTRAP) is a 5 0 -tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase that is required for the repair of topoisomerase2-induced DNA double-strand breaks. 1 It is a member of the endonuclease/exonuclease/ phosphatase family of proteins containing an Mg(2 þ )-dependent apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease Ape1-like domain. 2 Various yeast-two hybrid (Y2H) screenings and functional studies have unveiled TTRAP ability to interact with TNF receptors (TNFR) family members and TNFR-associated factors (TRAFs), especially TRAF6. 3 Furthermore, TTRAP was isolated as ETS-associated protein II 4 and as alk4-and smad3-binding protein. 5 Interestingly, TTRAP sequence contains a SUMO-interacting motif (SIM) that is required for its high affinity binding to SUMO-2/3. 6 TTRAP may thus has a role in the cytoplasm as a signaling molecule and in the nucleus as a DNA damage response protein and transcriptional regulator. In this context, its potential interaction with promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML), as previously determined in Y2H, suggests that TTRAP is a PML nuclear bodies (PML-NBs)-associated protein. 7 It remains unclear whether its 5 0 -tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase activity may account for all TTRAP biological functions.According to the cellular context, TTRAP may either protect cells from apoptosis or promote death. [8][9][10] When human SH-SY5Y cells are stressed by low doses of proteasome inhibitors, TTRAP is neuroprotective. In these conditions, endogenous TTRAP relocalizes to the cytoplasm and forms aggresome-like inclusions.In this paper we show that in response to high doses of proteasome inhibitors, TTRAP localizes to the nucleolus. This accumulation requires the association to PML-NBs and occurs in nucleolar cavities, a compartment devoid of markers of the 'ribosomal nucleolus'. Lack of TTRAP alters the levels of precursor ribosomal RNA (pre-rRNA) and processing intermediates, suggesting a new role of the PML-NBs-associated protein TTRAP in rRNA biogenesis. This function is dependent on TTRAP SIM motif, but is independent from its 5 0 -tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase activity. Altogether, these data suggest a novel function for TTRAP and nucleolar cavities in controlling rRNA biogenesis in response to proteasome inhibiti...