Transcriptional regulator that acts as a mediator of the integrated stress response (ISR) through transcriptional control of protein homeostasis under conditions of ER stress (PubMed:33384352). Controls the outcome of the unfolded protein response (UPR) which is an ER-stress response pathway (PubMed:33384352). ER stress induces QRICH1 translation by a ribosome translation re-initiation mechanism in response to EIF2S1/eIF-2-alpha phosphorylation, and stress-induced QRICH1 regulates a transcriptional program associated with protein translation, protein secretion-mediated proteotoxicity and cell death during the terminal UPR (PubMed:33384352). May cooperate with ATF4 transcription factor signaling to regulate ER homeostasis which is critical for cell viability (PubMed:33384352). Up-regulates CASP3/caspase-3 activity in epithelial cells under ER stress. Central regulator of proteotoxicity associated with ER stress-mediated inflammatory diseases in the intestines and liver (PubMed:33384352). Involved in chondrocyte hypertrophy, a process required for normal longitudinal bone growth (PubMed:30281152). Regulated at the translational level via an alternative ribosome re-initiation mechanism in response to various stress such as endoplasmic reticulum stress or oxidative stress (PubMed:33384352). In the absence of stress, ribosomes re-initiate translation at an inhibitory upstream open reading frames (uORFs) of the QRICH1 transcript, which preclude QRICH1 translation. In response to stress and subsequent EIF2S1/eIF-2-alpha phosphorylation, ribosomes bypass the inhibitory uORFs and re-initiate translation at the QRICH1 coding sequence (PubMed:33384352). Positive autoregulation at the transcriptional level (PubMed:33384352). The CARD domain may be involved in the regulation of caspase activity in the context of programmed cell death. The disease may be caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry.