Molecular model of growth hormone receptor (GR)
and its receptor (GHR), ribbon diagram.
GH elicits a variety of biological activities
mainly mediated by the GHR. GH binds to two
receptors mols., thereby inducing signal
transduction through receptor dimerization.
Deficiency in GHR is the cause of pituitary
dwarfism II (Laron-type pituitary dwarfism/Laron
syndrome). The mutations involved in the disease
are shown as blue ball-and-stick.
GH, synthesized in and secreted from the anterior
pituitary lobe has multiple effects on growth,
metabolism and the immune system.
