Pushed beyond limits: plants' response to unmanageable ER stress

To survive hostile environments, plant cells rely on the unfolded protein response (UPR) to adapt to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. The UPR is a conserved network of intracellular signaling pathways that are critical for maintaining homeostasis. ER stress is activated to clear unfolded proteins and restore ER homeostasis. If ER stress remains unresolved, the UPR triggers programmed cell death (PCD). How plant cells interpret stress signals to activate PCD pathways remains largely unexplored. New regulators of ER stress-induced PCD have emerged, providing insights into how the UPR shapes cell fate. In this review, we highlight recent progress in understanding ER stress-induced PCD under chronic ER stress and include outstanding questions for future research.