Polymorphism within the 3' flanking region of the bovine growth hormone receptor gene

Growth hormone receptor (GHR) has a major role in the regulation of growth hormone action, and thus, is an obvious candidate gene associated with milk production traits in mammals. The present authors have sequenced 273 bp of the 3' flanking region of the bovine GHR, and found three length variants and one base substitution polymorphism in this region. Allele frequencies of the length variants differ between Finnish native and commercial dairy cattle breeds. The chromosomal localization of GHR was confirmed to bovine chromosome 20 by synteny mapping and linkage analysis.