PELOTA at the Crossroads of Ribosome-associated quality control and Silencing: Coordinating Development, Stress, and Immunity in Plants

Ribosome-associated quality control (RaQC) pathways, including no-go decay (NGD) and non-stop decay (NSD), are essential for maintaining translational fidelity and regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. Central to these pathways is the conserved ribosome rescue factor PELOTA, which resolves stalled ribosomes and promotes the clearance of aberrant mRNAs and nascent polypeptides. While NGD and NSD have been extensively characterized in yeast and animals, our understanding of these processes in plants remains limited. Nevertheless, emerging evidence indicates that PELOTA plays a pivotal role in plant biology, contributing to key developmental processes and regulating immune responses to bacterial and viral pathogens. In this review, we provide an overview of the core NGD and NSD machinery in eukaryotes and synthesize current knowledge of these pathways in plants, highlighting both conserved mechanisms and regulatory features that appear to be plant-specific. We further discuss the roles of PELOTA in plant development and biotic stress responses and draw on insights from other eukaryotic systems to identify major gaps and open questions. By consolidating existing findings and outlining future research directions, this review aims to underscore the importance of ribosome-associated quality control in plants and aims to stimulate further investigation into this still underexplored field.