ER stress signaling requires RHD3, a functionally conserved ER-shaping GTPase

Whether structure and function are correlated features of organelles is a fundamental question in cell biology. Here, we have assessed the ability of Arabidopsis mutants with a defective endoplasmic reticulum (ER) structure to invoke the unfolded protein response (UPR), an essential ER signaling pathway. Through molecular and genetic approaches, we show that loss of the ER-shaping GTPase Root Hair Defective 3 (RHD3) specifically disrupts the UPR by interfering with the mRNA splicing function of the master regulator IRE1. These findings establish a new role for RHD3 in the ER and support specificity of the effects of ER-shaping mutations on ER function.