Progesterone is critical for successful ovulation in the ovary and for the multi-faceted role of the oviduct in mammalian reproduction. Its effects are mediated by progesterone receptor (PGR), which is highly expressed in the ovary, specifically granulosa cells of preovulatory follicles in response to the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge that occurs just prior to ovulation, and in the oviduct, predominantly luminal epithelial cells but also muscle cells. This review will summarize research which shows that progesterone, via the actions of PGR, plays a key role in the functions of these cells and in the important periovulatory events of oocyte release, acquisition of oocyte developmental competence and oviductal transport of the newly formed embryo. PGR is a nuclear receptor that regulates the expression of many downstream target genes. However, although much is known about its expression characteristics in ovarian and oviductal cells, there is still much to unravel about the mechanisms by which PGR exerts its control over these important reproductive processes, particularly in the oviduct.
© 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.