OK cells

OK cells (short for opossum kidney cells) are a marsupial cell line used in medical research to model proximal tubule epithelial cells of the kidney.

Characteristics

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The cell line was derived from the kidney of an adult female North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana).[1] Like porcine LLC-PK1 cells, this cell line has the limitation of lacking several enzymes specific to the proximal tubule.[2] Nonetheless, OK cells have been used extensively to study functional interactions between the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) and the sodium-hydrogen exchange regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1).[3]

Use in research

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OK cells were originally cultured as a source of X chromosomes for studies on X inactivation.[1] They have also served as models for the study of renal dopaminergic physiology, owing to their capacity to produce and degrade dopamine.[4] OK cells are sold under the catalog number CRL-1840 by ATCC.

References

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  1. ^ a b Koyama, H.; Goodpasture, C.; Miller, M. M.; Teplitz, R. L.; Riggs, A. D. (March 1978). "Establishment and characterization of a cell line from the American opossum (Didelphys virginiana)". In Vitro. 14 (3): 239–246. doi:10.1007/BF02616032. PMID 566717. S2CID 27331795.
  2. ^ Kruidering, Marieke; Water, Bob van der; Nagelkerke, J. Fred (1996). Methods for Studying Renal Toxicity. Vol. 18. pp. 173–83. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-61105-6. ISBN 978-3-642-64696-6. PMID 8678793. S2CID 27034550. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  3. ^ Ciruela, Francisco; Luján, Rafael (2008). Molecular Aspects of G Protein-Coupled Receptors: Interacting Proteins and Function. New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers. p. 219. ISBN 9781600219153.
  4. ^ Guimarães, J.T.; et al. (April 1997). "Opossum kidney (OK) cells in culture synthesize and degrade the natriuretic hormone dopamine: A comparison with rat renal tubular cells". The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 29 (4): 681–688. doi:10.1016/S1357-2725(96)00166-5. PMID 9363646.
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