In plants, AAA-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) Cell Division Control Protein 
48 (CDC48) uses the force generated through ATP hydrolysis to pull, extract, and 
unfold ubiquitylated or sumoylated proteins from the membrane, chromatin, or 
protein complexes. The resulting changes in protein or RNA content are an 
important means for plants to control protein homeostasis and thereby adapt to 
shifting environmental conditions. The activity and targeting of CDC48 are 
controlled by adaptor proteins, of which the plant ubiquitin regulatory X (UBX) 
domain-containing (PUX) proteins constitute the largest family. Emerging 
knowledge on the structure and function of PUX proteins highlights that these 
proteins are versatile factors for plant homeostasis and adaptation that might 
inspire biotechnological applications.