Somatogenic binding sites were detected and characterized in microsomal preparations from livers of normal mice and mice expressing metallothionein-I/hGH (mMT/hGH) hybrid gene, using I-125-labeled bovine or human GH, or a photoreactive derivative of hGH (I-125-AP-hGH1). Specific binding of I-125-bGH was detected in liver microsomes from both normal and transgenic mice with an apparent Kd of 2 nM. I-125-hGH was partially displaced by bGH. I-125-AP-hGH1 was covalently bound to the microsomal preparations, and bGH prevented the formation of the 130 kDa species with no appreciable effect on 63 kDa and 70 kDa lactogenic complexes.