The isolation of growth hormone receptor (GHR) cDNA clones has made possible the transfection of GHRs into cultured cells. Our aim in this minireview is to show how the application of such approaches have benefited GHR research. GH stimulation of cells expressing GHR cDNAs can cause an alteration of cellular function that mimic those of the endogenous GHR. GHR cDNA transfected cells also offer a system where the mechanism of GH action can be studied. Such a system has been used to demonstrate that the GHR itself becomes tyrosine phosphorylated and that further phosphorylation of downstream proteins is important in GH action. The GH signals are transmitted to the nucleus and GH regulated genes have now begun to be characterized. The ability to use cell transfection for mechanistic studies of GH action will be instrumental to define domains within the receptor that are of functional importance and to determine pathways whereby GH signals are conveyed within the cell.