ERN1 and steatosis: ER stress and UPR signaling further potentiate liver damage through promoting hepatocyte apoptosis downstream of ATF4/CHOP signaling, inducing release of pathogenic extracellular vesicles through IRE1/XBP1, regulating steatosis, activating inflammatory pathways, and promoting fibrogenesis (Ji et al., 2005; Oyadomari et al., 2008; Cazanave et al., 2010; Pfaffenbach et al., 2010; Cazanave et al., 2011; Li et al., 2011; Malhi et al., 2013; Xiao et al., 2013; Toriguchi et al., 2014; Kakazu et al., 2016; Rahman et al., 2016; Shan et al., 2017; Dasgupta et al., 2020; Duwaerts et al., 2021).