The cell line was derived from the kidney of an adult female North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana).
[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] 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.