Growth hormone (GH) gene of a common local caprine breed “Beetal” was expressed in E. coli BL21 Codon Plus (DE3) RIPL, using T7-promoter based pET22b expression vector. Expression of GH gene with native base sequence did not produce the GH to any detectable levels as analysed by SDS-PAGE, but substitution of certain bases in the 5′ region of the gene resulted in dramatically high level expression of GH. A series of constructs, pETCST 1-19, were made by substituting one, two or three bases in the initial stretch of 24 bases of the coding region. The cells transformed with the constructs pETCST 8, 9, 12 and 13, on induction with IPTG produced GH at levels of over 50% of the total cell proteins. The expression levels were generally seemed to be related to the possibility of secondary structure formation in the 5′-end region of the transcribed mRNA. Quantitative PCR studies showed that the levels of mRNA in the cells transformed with the various constructs were similar, thus substantiating that the differential expression levels occurred at translation level. Expression patterns obtained as a result of auto-induction with lactose were similar to those obtained with IPTG induction. The over-expression results in the formation of inclusion bodies, from which the growth hormone was refolded into biologically active form.