PGR Gene

HGNC Family	Zinc fingers
Name	progesterone receptor
Description	This gene encodes a member of the steroid receptor superfamily. The encoded protein mediates the physiological effects of progesterone, which plays a central role in reproductive events associated with the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. This gene uses two distinct promotors and translation start sites in the first exon to produce several transcript variants, both protein coding and non-protein coding. Two of the isoforms (A and B) are identical except for an additional 165 amino acids found in the N-terminus of isoform B and mediate their own response genes and physiologic effects with little overlap. [provided by RefSeq, Sep 2015]
Summary	{"type": "root", "children": [{"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nProgesterone receptor (PGR) plays an important dual role in breast cancer, both as a biomarker and as an active regulator of transcriptional programs. In breast tumor profiling studies, PGR expression helps distinguish molecular subtypes—for example, differentiating more‐proliferative, aggressive luminal B tumors from luminal A tumors."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "1"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Furthermore, studies in human breast cancer cell lines have shown that the two major PGR isoforms, PR-A and PR-B, regulate distinct sets of target genes; many genes are selectively modulated by PR-B while a smaller subset is unique to PR-A."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "3"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In addition to being an estrogen receptor–induced gene, PGR also directly associates with ERα, modulating its chromatin binding and transcriptional output toward a gene programme correlated with better clinical outcomes."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "4"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nIn reproductive tissues, PGR is a critical mediator of progesterone actions. In endometriosis, aberrant hypermethylation of the PR-B promoter leads to its downregulation and is implicated in the development of progesterone resistance."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "5"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Similarly, in the human myometrium, integrated studies indicate that PR activity—in both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent modes—suppresses the activation of inflammatory transcription factors such as NF-κB, thereby inhibiting expression of contraction-associated genes and helping to maintain uterine quiescence during pregnancy."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "6"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n\n"}, {"type": "p", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "\nMechanistically, PGR function is fine-tuned through its selective recruitment of transcriptional coregulators and post-translational modifications. Following ligand binding, PGR preferentially interacts with coactivators like SRC-1 that help assemble transcription complexes on target promoters."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "8"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Genetic studies in animal models further distinguish isoform-specific functions—PR-A is essential for several aspects of female fertility, while PR-B is required for normal mammary gland proliferation and differentiation."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "9"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " In human cells, post-translational modification such as sumoylation of a defined motif within the PR N-terminus mediates autoinhibition and transrepression, thereby modulating its transcriptional potency."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "10"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Moreover, transcriptional control of the PR gene involves interplay between ERα, Sp1 binding sites, and specific promoter elements that together establish appropriate PGR expression and activity."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "11"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " Finally, clinical investigations have underscored the prognostic value of PGR expression in early invasive breast cancer, reinforcing its practical importance as both a marker and as a mediator of hormone responsiveness."}, {"type": "fg", "children": [{"type": "fg_f", "ref": "12"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": "\n"}]}, {"type": "rg", "children": [{"type": "r", "ref": 1, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Maggie C U Cheang, Stephen K Chia, David Voduc, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Ki67 index, HER2 status, and prognosis of patients with luminal B breast cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Natl Cancer Inst (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1093/jnci/djp082"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djp082"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19436038"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19436038"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 2, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Adedayo A Onitilo, Jessica M Engel, Robert T Greenlee, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Breast cancer subtypes based on ER/PR and Her2 expression: comparison of clinicopathologic features and survival."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Clin Med Res (2009)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.3121/cmr.2009.825"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.3121/cmr.2009.825"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "19574486"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19574486"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 3, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jennifer K Richer, Britta M Jacobsen, Nicole G Manning, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Differential gene regulation by the two progesterone receptor isoforms in human breast cancer cells."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Biol Chem (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1074/jbc.M110090200"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M110090200"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "11717311"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11717311"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 4, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hisham Mohammed, I Alasdair Russell, Rory Stark, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Progesterone receptor modulates ERα action in breast cancer."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Nature (2015)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/nature14583"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14583"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "26153859"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26153859"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 5, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Yan Wu, Estil Strawn, Zainab Basir, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Promoter hypermethylation of progesterone receptor isoform B (PR-B) in endometriosis."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Epigenetics (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.4161/epi.1.2.2766"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.4161/epi.1.2.2766"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "17965625"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17965625"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 6, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Daniel B Hardy, Bethany A Janowski, David R Corey, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Progesterone receptor plays a major antiinflammatory role in human myometrial cells by antagonism of nuclear factor-kappaB activation of cyclooxygenase 2 expression."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Endocrinol (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1210/me.2006-0112"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1210/me.2006-0112"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16772530"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16772530"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 7, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Jennifer C Condon, Daniel B Hardy, Kelly Kovaric, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Up-regulation of the progesterone receptor (PR)-C isoform in laboring myometrium by activation of nuclear factor-kappaB may contribute to the onset of labor through inhibition of PR function."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Endocrinol (2006)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1210/me.2005-0242"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1210/me.2005-0242"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "16339279"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16339279"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 8, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Xiaotao Li, Jiemin Wong, Sophia Y Tsai, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Progesterone and glucocorticoid receptors recruit distinct coactivator complexes and promote distinct patterns of local chromatin modification."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Mol Cell Biol (2003)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1128/MCB.23.11.3763-3773.2003"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1128/MCB.23.11.3763-3773.2003"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12748280"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12748280"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 9, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Orla M Conneely, Biserka Mulac-Jericevic, John P Lydon "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Progesterone-dependent regulation of female reproductive activity by two distinct progesterone receptor isoforms."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Steroids (2003)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/s0039-128x(03)00126-0"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/s0039-128x(03"}, {"type": "t", "text": "00126-0) PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "14667967"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14667967"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 10, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Hany Abdel-Hafiz, Glenn S Takimoto, Lin Tung, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The inhibitory function in human progesterone receptor N termini binds SUMO-1 protein to regulate autoinhibition and transrepression."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Biol Chem (2002)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1074/jbc.M204573200"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M204573200"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "12114521"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12114521"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 11, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Larry N Petz, Yvonne S Ziegler, Jennifer R Schultz, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Differential regulation of the human progesterone receptor gene through an estrogen response element half site and Sp1 sites."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol (2004)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1016/j.jsbmb.2003.11.008"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2003.11.008"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "15084343"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15084343"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 12, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Brianna Cloke, Kaisa Huhtinen, Luca Fusi, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "The androgen and progesterone receptors regulate distinct gene networks and cellular functions in decidualizing endometrium."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Endocrinology (2008)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1210/en.2008-0356"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2008-0356"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "18511503"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18511503"}]}, {"type": "r", "ref": 13, "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "C A Purdie, P Quinlan, L B Jordan, et al. "}, {"type": "b", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Progesterone receptor expression is an independent prognostic variable in early breast cancer: a population-based study."}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " "}, {"type": "i", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "Br J Cancer (2014)"}]}, {"type": "t", "text": " DOI: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "10.1038/bjc.2013.756"}], "href": "https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2013.756"}, {"type": "t", "text": " PMID: "}, {"type": "a", "children": [{"type": "t", "text": "24300977"}], "href": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24300977"}]}]}]}
Synonyms	NR3C3
Proteins	PRGR_HUMAN
NCBI Gene ID	5241
API
Download Associations
Predicted Functions
Co-expressed Genes
Expression in Tissues and Cell Lines

Functional Associations

PGR has 13,428 functional associations with biological entities spanning 9 categories (molecular profile, organism, functional term, phrase or reference, chemical, disease, phenotype or trait, structural feature, cell line, cell type or tissue, gene, protein or microRNA, sequence feature) extracted from 125 datasets.

Click the + buttons to view associations for PGR from the datasets below.

If available, associations are ranked by standardized value

Harmonizome 3.0

PGR Gene

Functional Associations

Please acknowledge the Harmonizome in your publications by citing the following reference(s):

	Dataset	Summary
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Adult Mouse Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles	tissue samples with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Aging Dementia and Traumatic Brain Injury Tissue Sample Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray	tissue samples with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other tissue samples from the Allen Brain Atlas Developing Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles by Microarray dataset.
	Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	tissues with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other tissues from the Allen Brain Atlas Prenatal Human Brain Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Biocarta Pathways	pathways involving PGR protein from the Biocarta Pathways dataset.
	BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other cell lines from the BioGPS Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Human Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles	cell types and tissues with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other cell types and tissues from the BioGPS Mouse Cell Type and Tissue Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures	small molecule perturbations changing expression of PGR gene from the Carcinogenome Chemical Perturbation Carcinogenicity Signatures dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of PGR gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles	cell lines with high or low expression of PGR gene relative to other cell lines from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Expression Profiles dataset.
	CCLE Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with PGR gene mutations from the CCLE Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations	cell types associated with PGR gene from the CellMarker Gene-Cell Type Associations dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of PGR gene from the CHEA Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of PGR gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ChEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022	transcription factors binding the promoter of PGR gene in low- or high-throughput transcription factor functional studies from the CHEA Transcription Factor Targets 2022 dataset.
	CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas	gene perturbations changing expression of PGR gene from the CM4AI KOLF21J CRISPRi Gene Perturbation Atlas dataset.
	CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules	small molecule perturbations changing expression of PGR gene from the CMAP Signatures of Differentially Expressed Genes for Small Molecules dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components containing PGR protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components containing PGR protein from the COMPARTMENTS Curated Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores	cellular components co-occuring with PGR protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores dataset.
	COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025	cellular components co-occuring with PGR protein in abstracts of biomedical publications from the COMPARTMENTS Text-mining Protein Localization Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles	cell lines with high or low copy number of PGR gene relative to other cell lines from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene CNV Profiles dataset.
	COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles	cell lines with PGR gene mutations from the COSMIC Cell Line Gene Mutation Profiles dataset.
	CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions	chemicals interacting with PGR gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Chemical Interactions dataset.
	CTD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with PGR gene/protein from the curated CTD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency	cell lines with fitness changed by PGR gene knockdown relative to other cell lines from the DepMap CRISPR Gene Dependency dataset.
	DGIdb Drug Targets 2026	interacting drugs for PGR protein from the DGIdb Drug Targets 2026 dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores	diseases co-occuring with PGR gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores dataset.
	DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Association Evidence Scores 2025	diseases co-occuring with PGR gene in abstracts of biomedical publications from the DISEASES Text-mining Gene-Disease Assocation Evidence Scores 2025 dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with PGR gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	DisGeNET Gene-Phenotype Associations	phenotypes associated with PGR gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the DisGeNET Gene-Phenoptype Associations dataset.
	DrugBank Drug Targets	interacting drugs for PGR protein from the curated DrugBank Drug Targets dataset.
	ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles	histone modification site profiles with high histone modification abundance at PGR gene from the ENCODE Histone Modification Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles	transcription factor binding site profiles with transcription factor binding evidence at the promoter of PGR gene from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Binding Site Profiles dataset.
	ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets	transcription factors binding the promoter of PGR gene in ChIP-seq datasets from the ENCODE Transcription Factor Targets dataset.
	ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells	PubMedIDs of publications reporting gene signatures containing PGR from the ESCAPE Omics Signatures of Genes and Proteins for Stem Cells dataset.
	GAD Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with PGR gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD Gene-Disease Associations dataset.
	GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations	diseases associated with PGR gene in GWAS and other genetic association datasets from the GAD High Level Gene-Disease Associations dataset.