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Unfolded Protein Response

Meaning

The Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) is a crucial, evolutionarily conserved cellular stress signaling pathway activated when an accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins occurs within the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). This adaptive response is a survival mechanism designed to restore ER homeostasis by transiently halting general protein translation, increasing the production of ER-resident chaperone proteins, and enhancing ER-associated protein degradation. Persistent or overwhelming ER stress, however, can shift the UPR from an adaptive state to a pro-apoptotic pathway, contributing to various metabolic and degenerative diseases.