The nature and regulation of the receptors for pituitary growth hormone

Recent developments have contributed greatly to our understanding of GH receptor structure and function; however, much remains to be done. One of the first priorities should be to elucidate the early events that follow activation of the GH receptor. The in vitro systems outlined in this review show promise in this regard; however, all three systems require further characterization. Future studies of the GH receptor in these and other systems will undoubtedly be facilitated by the monoclonal antibody generated against the GH receptor and by recently described cross-linking methodologies. Despite these recent advances, however, it is likely that detailed characterization of receptor structure and function awaits cloning of the GH-receptor gene(s).