 This gene encodes a protein that is a transmembrane receptor for growth hormone.Binding of growth hormone to the receptor leads to reorientation of a pre-assembled receptor dimer dimerization (the receptor may however also exist as monomers on the cell surface ) and the activation of an intra- and intercellular signal transduction pathway leading to growth.A common alternate allele of this gene, called GHRd3, lacks exon three and has been well characterized.