We examined the relationship between PTH binding and stimulation of cAMP formation in a cell line derived from opossum kidney (OK). In the presence of isobutylmethylxanthine (1 mM) bovine PTH(1-34) [bPTH(1-34)] (244 nM) stimulated cAMP accumulation in confluent cultures up to 40-fold over basal; this response to PTH was stable for 35 passages. The concentration of bPTH(1-34) required to raise cell cAMP levels half-maximally was 5-12 nM. Binding of [125I]bPTH(1-34) to OK cells was saturable; Scatchard analysis of competitive binding data yielded a dissociation constant (KD) = 6 +/- 2 nM, with 1.0 pmol binding sites/mg cell protein. Under steady state binding conditions 89% of labeled PTH remained precipitable by 10% trichloroacetic acid, suggesting minimal metabolism of the hormone. The PTH antagonist (8Nle, 18Nle, 34Tyr)bPTH(3-34)amide competed for [125I]bPTH(1-34) binding sites and inhibited the action of bPTH(1-34) to raise cAMP levels. The intact PTH molecule, bPTH(1-84), and the weak agonist hPTH(1-34) synthesized by Brewer were both less potent than bPTH(1-34) (6 times and 30 times, respectively) with regard to binding and cAMP production. Calcitonin and arginine vasopressin did not bind to PTH receptors but raised cAMP levels in OK cell cultures 3- and 10-fold, respectively; neither glucagon nor ACTH(1-24) influenced PTH binding of cAMP in OK cells. Varying the extracellular calcium concentration in the medium bathing cells did not influence basal or PTH-stimulated cAMP generation. These data suggest that PTH receptors in OK cells are of high affinity, are selective for PTH, and are coupled to adenylate cyclase. This established epithelial cell line provides a model in which to study the mechanism of action of PTH in the kidney.