Receptor for pituitary gland growth hormone involved in regulating postnatal body growth. On ligand binding, couples to, and activates the JAK2/STAT5 pathway. The soluble form (GHBP) acts as a reservoir of growth hormone in plasma and may be a modulator/inhibitor of GH signaling. On growth hormone (GH) binding, forms homodimers and binds JAK2 via a box 1-containing domain. Binding to SOCS3 inhibits JAK2 activation, binding to CIS and SOCS2 inhibits STAT5 activation. On growth hormone binding, GHR is ubiquitinated, internalized, down-regulated and transported into a degradative or non-degradative pathway. Complexed to a substantial fraction of circulating GH. The WSXWS motif appears to be necessary for proper protein folding and thereby efficient intracellular transport and cell-surface receptor binding. The box 1 motif is required for JAK interaction and/or activation. The extracellular domain is the ligand-binding domain representing the growth hormone-binding protein (GHBP). The ubiquitination-dependent endocytosis motif (UbE) is required for recruitment of the ubiquitin conjugation system on to the receptor and for its internalization. On GH binding, phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in the cytoplasmic domain by JAK2. On ligand binding, ubiquitinated on lysine residues in the cytoplasmic domain. This ubiquitination is not sufficient for GHR internalization (By similarity). Belongs to the type I cytokine receptor family. Type 1 subfamily.