| Scientific Background: | Growth Hormone (GH) and other members of the somatotropin/prolactin family of proteins play an important role in growth control. The GH gene and four related genes inhabit the growth hormone locus on chromosome 17, with all five interspersed in a transcriptional orientation which possibly evolved through a series of gene duplications. The five genes share a remarkably high degree of sequence identity, and expression of all five genes occurs in the pituitary, but not in placental tissue. Alternative splicing generates additional isoforms of each of the five growth hormones, leading to further diversity and potential for specialization. Mutations in or deletions of the gene lead to growth hormone deficiency and short stature. |
