UGT2B17
UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B17
Theoretical — per Powers
Gene summary
A protein-coding gene on chromosome 4 (steroid conjugation and clearance). Encodes a member of the uridine diphosphoglucuronosyltransferase protein family. The enzyme catalyzes the transfer of glucuronic acid from uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid to a diverse array of substrates including steroid hormones and lipid-soluble drugs.
Source: NCBI Gene, accessed 2026-10-07.
Protein reference (UniProt)
- Protein
UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B17
- Function
UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) that catalyzes phase II biotransformation reactions in which lipophilic substrates are conjugated with glucuronic acid to increase the metabolite's water solubility, thereby facilitating excretion into either the urine or bile. Catalyzes the glucuronidation of endogenous steroid hormones such as androgens (epitestosterone, androsterone) and estrogens (estradiol, epiestradiol).
- Subcellular location
Endoplasmic reticulum membrane.
- Tissue specificity
Expressed in various tissues including the liver, kidney, testis, uterus, placenta, mammary gland, adrenal gland, skin and prostate.
Source: UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot O75795, release 2026_03, licensed CC BY 4.0. This is the protein’s normal biology, not evidence about post-drug syndromes; associated conditions are inherited disorders of the gene, not PFS, PSSD or PRSD.
Why its pathway is in the library
Steroid clearance is the exit route for androgens and their metabolites — the pathway at the center of Powers' PFS model (defective glucuronidation/sulfation trapping androgens intracellularly). Gut bacterial enzymes can undo this clearance, linking it to the microbiome thread.
Written for the whole conjugation & clearance family, not for UGT2B17 specifically.
Powers’ note (his unpublished theorizing)
Powers' theorized “base, core defect” of one PFS phenotype (DWP-003, unpublished Reddit theorizing): a defective UGT2B17 disables the main glucuronidation exit for testosterone, trapping androgens intracellularly; finasteride then closes the remaining DHT exit, driving receptor downregulation and eventual epigenetic silencing of androgen signaling.
Narrative library record
Function
Steroid-glucuronidating enzyme of extrahepatic tissues (notably prostate) that conjugates C19 steroids including DHT, androsterone, and 3-alpha-diol; notable for common copy-number variation (whole-gene deletion is frequent) associated in the literature with osteoporosis susceptibility.
Corpus relevance
Powers' DWP-002 excretion-defect model needs a genetic explanation for why clearance fails in some patients; UGT2B17's common deletion polymorphism makes it a natural candidate susceptibility locus of exactly the type Powers hunts (see DWP-003 mutation post). Copy-number variation here is established; any PFS link is Powers-theorizing. Attribution: theoretical-per-Powers.
Powers’ claims naming UGT2B17
- Powers gene claim
UGT2B17 — defective (major)
Confidence: direct
A defective UGT2B17 disables the main glucuronidation exit pathway for testosterone — the "base, core defect" of this PFS phenotype. Carriers show shockingly low 3α-androstanediol glucuronide and near-zero urinary testosterone on DUTCH despite normal serum T…
UGT2B17PGL-UGT2B17circa May 2026 (archived 2026-05-08)PFS - Powers gene claim
UGT2B15; UGT2B7 — defective (minor)
Confidence: direct
Defects in these secondary glucuronidation enzymes can compound the UGT2B17 defect, further reducing testosterone exit capacity.
UGT2B15UGT2B17UGT2B7PGL-UGT2B15-UGT2B7circa May 2026PFS
Mentioned in 27 corpus records
- Powers · Reddit post
I think I have figured out at least one specific phenotype of PFS, and it is different from the "allopregnanolone" theory
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Powers' key genetics-first post: he proposed a specific PFS phenotype whose "base, core defect" is defective UGT2B17, disabling testosterone's main glucuronidation exit pathway. Carriers show shockingly low 3α-androstanediol glucuronide and near-zero urinary…
AKR1C1AKR1C2AKR1C3AKR1C4HSD17B2+3DWP-0032026PFSCore corpus - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: The Problems with the Theory of Impaired Androgen Signaling caused by Metabolite Accumulation: A Peaceful Challenge to Dr. Powers’ Thesis
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Long reply to a community member's critique of his impaired-androgen-signaling theory. Powers concedes his earlier strong claim — that androgens must exit through DHT when UGTs are impaired — was overstated: testosterone can route through oxidation…
AKR1C3ARUGT2B17PRH-01172026-09-20T19:15:54ZPFSPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: The Problems with the Theory of Impaired Androgen Signaling caused by Metabolite Accumulation: A Peaceful Challenge to Dr. Powers’ Thesis
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
First half of a two-part reply in the same critique thread. Powers reports clinical observations — PFS patients regrowing hair while on treatment, and multiple cases of osteopenia/osteoporosis suggesting failed androgenic or estrogenic signaling. He says…
UGT2B17PRH-01272026-09-19T16:47:22ZPFSPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: Had another random pssdpfs thought about the…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Reply to a community member's glucuronidation-theory thought about sulfation labs. Powers notes the discussed factor interacts with androgen production and ABCC-family transporters (he believes ABCB1 specifically, with the caveat that he read it long ago)…
ABCB1LRP2UGT2B15UGT2B17UGT2B7PRH-13982026-04-01T15:22:34ZPFSPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: Any chance someone could help me make sense of a…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Reply to someone anxious about SNP-array results. Powers says the SNPs flagged by consumer tools are well-known common glitches carried by many healthy people with good outcomes; the variants that matter don't appear on SNP arrays at all. His example: a PFS…
UGT2B17PRH-13302026-04-07T01:29:40ZPFSPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: Im back from the pfs congress i know everyone…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Reply in his post-PFS-congress update thread addressing heritability. Powers distinguishes susceptibility from the syndrome itself: the androgen-metabolism glitches (e.g., a homozygous UGT2B17 deletion) can be passed on, but PFS itself cannot be inherited…
UGT2B17PRH-09152026-05-13T16:42:59ZPFSPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: My doctor, William Powers, is looking for data from PSSD patients
u/drwillpowers · r/PSSD (export metadata; permalink resolves to r/DrWillPowers thread — likely crossposted)
Powers reported having seen recoveries following alteration of gut flora, and cited a PMC article (PMC6962501) for the mechanism: changing the gut microbiome changes beta-glucuronidase production, which changes how much glucuronidated hormone is de-conjugated…
UGT2B17PRH-12552026-04-13T23:48:22ZPFSPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit postCurated Powers pick
I'm starting to see trends in PSSD genomes, this is one. DBH
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Post body unavailable. From the title, Powers announced he was beginning to see recurring trends in the genomes of his PSSD patients, singling out DBH — dopamine beta-hydroxylase, the enzyme converting dopamine to norepinephrine — as one such trend. This is…
COMTDBHHTR2CUGT2B17PRH-07452026-06-11T23:41:29ZPFSPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit postCurated Powers pick
You know, PSSD and PFS may actually be the same thing. Anyone got any data for me?
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Post body unavailable. From the title, Powers publicly floated the hypothesis that PSSD and PFS may actually be the same condition, and solicited patient data to test it. This post predates and anticipates the data-driven unification seen a month later in…
UGT2B17PRH-14932026-03-17T23:49:38ZPFSPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: Pssd and desperate…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Replying to a PSSD sufferer who theorized that TRT injections had depleted his androgens and caused penile shrinkage, Powers lays out the excess model in plain terms: the problem is too many androgens, not too few — but trapped intracellularly as accumulated…
UGT2B17UGT2B7PRH-14952026-03-28T00:28:54ZPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Multi-hit model: a glucuronidation defect alone is necessary but not sufficient
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Replying to [username removed]'s question about why East Asian populations — with roughly 60–70% homozygous UGT2B17 deletion prevalence — don't show higher PFS rates, Powers states that glucuronidation failure alone is insufficient: it was merely the first…
LRP2UGT2B17PRH-15002026-04-14T13:22:58ZPFSPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: Dutasteride still a decent option…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Answering specificity concerns — UGT2B17 deletion is common, so would testing just produce nocebo? — Powers states that a heterozygous UGT2B17 deletion alone is insufficient for PFS, citing his own long-term finasteride/dutasteride use without issue and his…
LRP2UGT2B17PRH-15062026-07-16T14:12:07ZPFSPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Re: You know pssd and pfs may actually be the same…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Reading a commenter's labs in the PFS/PSSD-sameness data thread, Powers identifies a likely heterozygous UGT2B17 defect: DHT high but the 3α metabolite at the very bottom — the conversion step incompletely performed, less than half of what the androgen load…
UGT2B17PRH-15072026-03-25T23:31:59ZPFSPSSDPowers Reddit history - Powers · Reddit commentCurated Powers pick
Protocol direction: full HPA shutdown (LH/FSH zero) → normalize the absurd metabolite marker → natural reboot…
u/drwillpowers · r/DrWillPowers
Replying to a commenter proposing HPTA shutdown followed by bypass hormones (Primobolan/E2/progesterone) to route around the UGT2B17 clearance defect, Powers describes his current protocol direction: shut the HPA axis fully off (LH/FSH to zero), then track…
ARUGT2B17PRH-15202026-04-14T22:12:28ZPowers Reddit history - Conference abstract
Novel mechanisms of testosterone detoxification in UGT2B17 gene deletion carriers and androgen activation by gut microbiome
Abdul Basit; John Amory; Cindy Li; Vijay Mettu; Scott Heyward; Parth B. Jariwala; Matthew R. Redinbo; Bhagwat Prasad · The FASEB Journal (Experimental Biology meeting abstract)
Proteomic comparison of human livers from UGT2B17 deletion carriers versus high expressors found upregulation of alternative steroid-metabolizing pathways (AKR1D1, AKR1C4, and related dehydrogenases/alcohol dehydrogenases) in deletion carriers, redirecting…
AKR1C4AKR1D1UGT2B17UGT2B7MECH-0142021Systems review · Oct 2026 - Peer-reviewed paperPSSD Discord pick
Multiple roles for UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)2B15 and UGT2B17 enzymes in androgen metabolism and prostate cancer evolution
Gauthier-Landry L, Bélanger A, Barbier O · Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Review of two glucuronidation enzymes, UGT2B15 and UGT2B17, that convert DHT metabolites (3α-diol and androsterone) into inactive, easily excreted glucuronide conjugates. It describes how these enzymes control local androgen availability and androgen-receptor…
ARUGT2B15UGT2B17DISC-0032015 (epub 2014)PFSPSSD Discord picks - Peer-reviewed paperPSSD Discord pick
Genome-wide Copy-Number-Variation Study Identified a Susceptibility Gene, UGT2B17, for Osteoporosis
Tie-Lin Yang, Xiang-Ding Chen, Yan Guo, Shu-Feng Lei, Jin-Tang Wang, Qi Zhou, Feng Pan, Yuan Chen, Zhi-Xin Zhu, Teng Chen, Meng Li, Hong… · American Journal of Human Genetics
A genome-wide copy-number-variation (CNV) analysis in 700 elderly Chinese subjects (350 hip-fracture cases, 350 controls) found that CNV at 4q13.2, encompassing the UGT2B17 gene, was significantly associated with osteoporotic fracture, replicated in an…
UGT2B17DISC-0262008PFSPSSD Discord picks - Peer-reviewed paper
Deletion polymorphism of the UGT2B17 gene is associated with increased risk for prostate cancer and correlated to gene expression in the prostate
A-H Karypidis, M Olsson, S-O Andersson, Anders Rane, Lena Ekstrom · The Pharmacogenomics Journal
UGT2B17 is a highly prostate-abundant UDP- glucuronosyltransferase with strong activity against androgens, and its deletion had previously been linked to low or undetectable urinary testosterone. The authors quantified UGT2B17 mRNA in normal prostate tissue…
UGT2B17MECH-0382008 (online Mar 2007)Systems review · Oct 2026 - Peer-reviewed paper
UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B15 (UGT2B15) and UGT2B17 enzymes are major determinants of the androgen response
Sarah Chouinard; Olivier Barbier; Alain Bélanger · Journal of Biological Chemistry
The UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 enzymes conjugate dihydrotestosterone and its metabolites androstane-3α,17β-diol and androsterone. Both enzymes are present in epithelial cells of the human prostate, where significant concentrations of the corresponding glucuronides…
UGT2B15UGT2B17MECH-0492007Systems review · Oct 2026 - Gene recordPowers’ theory
UGT1A1 — UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A1
chromosome 2 (2q37 region; 233.76-233.77 Mb GRCh38)
UDP-glucuronosyltransferase that conjugates glucuronic acid onto lipophilic molecules - steroids, bilirubin, hormones, drugs - converting them to water-soluble, excretable metabolites. Over 100 described variants alter its activity (for example, Gilbert…
ABCC2ABCC3UGT1A1UGT2B15UGT2B17+1GENE-UGT1A1PFSCore corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
UGT2B7 — UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B7
chromosome 4 (UGT2B gene cluster, 4q13 region)
Broad-specificity glucuronosyltransferase of the UGT2B cluster that conjugates steroid hormones and many drugs for excretion; handles a wide substrate range including opioids and NSAIDs alongside endogenous steroids.
ABCC2UGT1A1UGT2B15UGT2B17UGT2B7GENE-UGT2B7Core corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
UGT2B15 — UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B15
chromosome 4 (UGT2B gene cluster, 4q13 region)
Androgen-conjugating UGT expressed in liver, prostate, adipose, skin, and other tissues; glucuronidates DHT, androsterone, and androstane-3-alpha,17-beta-diol, directly terminating their activity and marking them for urinary excretion.
AKR1C2ARUGT1A1UGT2B15UGT2B17+1GENE-UGT2B15Core corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
Apical membrane efflux pump (MRP2) of liver, kidney, and intestine that exports organic anions - including bilirubin glucuronides and drug conjugates - out of cells for elimination. Loss causes Dubin-Johnson syndrome; polymorphisms alter drug pharmacokinetics.
ABCC2ABCC3UGT1A1UGT2B15UGT2B17GENE-ABCC2Core corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
Basolateral membrane efflux pump (MRP3) of liver, intestine, kidney, adrenals, and pancreas that exports organic anions - bile constituents, bilirubin glucuronides, steroid conjugates - into blood for renal elimination; upregulated when ABCC2 fails, showing…
ABCC2ABCC3UGT2B15UGT2B17GENE-ABCC3Core corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
Cytosolic sulfotransferase expressed in liver and adrenal glands that catalyzes the sulfation of steroids and bile acids, converting them into water-soluble sulfate conjugates for excretion; variants are studied for effects on circulating DHEA-sulfate levels.
HSD17B2SLCO1B1SULT2A1UGT2B15UGT2B17+1GENE-SULT2A1PFSCore corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
Short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (17-beta-HSD type 2) that inactivates sex steroids, oxidizing testosterone to androstenedione, estradiol to estrone, and androstenediol to DHEA; described as the key 17-beta-HSD isozyme in androgen and estrogen…
AKR1C2CYP17A1CYP19A1HSD17B2SRD5A2+1GENE-HSD17B2PFSCore corpus - Gene recordPowers’ theory
Encodes OATP1B1, the sodium-independent organic-anion transporter on liver cell membranes that moves bilirubin, hormones, toxins, and many drugs from blood into the liver for clearance; biallelic loss together with SLCO1B3 causes Rotor syndrome (conjugated…
ABCC2ABCC3SLCO1B1SLCO1B3UGT1A1+2GENE-SLCO1B1PFSCore corpus
Also in steroid conjugation and clearance
All 31 genes- UGT2B15Powers
UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B15
chr 4· Conjugation & clearance· 13 records - AKR1C2Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C2
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 12 records - UGT2B7Powers
UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 2 member B7
chr 4· Conjugation & clearance· 11 records - AKR1C3Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C3
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 9 records - AKR1C4Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C4
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 8 records - AKR1C1Powers
aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1
chr 10· Steroid synthesis· 7 records - SULT2A1Powers
sulfotransferase family 2A member 1
chr 19· Conjugation & clearance· 7 records - UGT1A1Powers
UDP glucuronosyltransferase family 1 member A1
chr 2· Conjugation & clearance· 7 records
Browse by family on the gene families page.