Protein koga kodira ovaj gen je član porodice somatotropin/prolaktinhormona, a koji imaju važnu ulogu u kontroli rasta. Ovaj gen, zajedno s četiri druga srodna gena, nalazi se na lokusu za hormon rasta na hromosomu 17, gdje se smenjuju sa istom transkripcijskom orijentacijom. Aranžmani za koje se smatra da su evoluirali od niza gena duplikata.
Pet gena dijele izuzetno visok stepen identiteta odgovarajuće sekvence DNK. Alternativa prerade RNK stvara dodatnu izoformu svakog od pet hormona rasta, što je dovelo do dalje različitosti i potencijala za specijalizaciju. Kao i u slučaju njegovog hipofiznog "kolege", hormona rasta 1, preovladavajuċe izoforme ovog konkretnog člana porodice pokazuje slične somatogene aktivnosti, sa smanjenom latogenom aktivnosti. Mutacije ovog gena dovode do nedostatka hormona rasta placente, laktogena ljudske posteljice.
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