The Role of Plant Progesterone in Regulating Growth, Development, and Biotic/Abiotic Stress Responses

Progesterone is a steroid hormone that performs important functions in mammals. However, studies on its physiological functions in plants have gradually increased in recent years. Therefore, this review summarizes the regulatory functions of progesterone on plant growth and development, as well as its response to stress. Moreover, the plant metabolic processes of progesterone are also discussed. Overall, progesterone is ubiquitous in plants and can regulate numerous plant physiological processes at low concentrations. Since progesterone shares similar characteristics with plant hormones, it is expected to become a candidate for plant hormone. However, most of the current research on progesterone in plants is limited to the physiological level, and more molecular level research is needed to clarify progesterone signaling pathways.