The N-terminal fragment of human hypercalcemia factor (hHCF), hHCF-(1-34)NH2, has bioactivities similar to PTH in vitro and in vivo. Because it interacts with PTH receptors and is more potent than PTH in some systems, the hHCF sequence may provide interesting leads for the design of potent and selective PTH and hHCF antagonists. Based on the antagonist activity of [Tyr34]bovine PTH-(7-34)NH2 [( Tyr34]bPTH-(7-34)NH2), we synthesized the corresponding fragment of hHCF, hHCF-(7-34)NH2 and examined its properties in vitro. In the bone-derived rat osteosarcoma cell line ROS 17/2.8, hHCF-(7-34)NH2 and [Tyr34]bPTH-(7-34)NH2 were equipotent for inhibition of radiolabeled PTH-binding. In contrast, hHCF-(7-34)NH2 was 8-fold more potent that [Tyr34]bPTH-(7-34)NH2 for inhibiting PTH-stimulated cAMP production. hHCF-(7-34)NH2 also inhibited PTH-binding and PTH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in bovine renal cortical membranes: hHCF-(7-34)NH2 and [Tyr34]bPTH-(7-34)NH2 were equipotent in this system. In addition, hHCF-(7-34)NH2 antagonized hHCF-(1-34)NH2 action in both systems with similar inhibition constants. However, unlike the PTH analogue, hHCF-(7-34)NH2 (8 microM) was a weak partial agonist, producing a 2.4-fold increase in cAMP (5% of the maximal response) in ROS cells. This same system also detects agonism for [Nle8, 18Tyr34]bPTH-(3-34)NH2, another PTH partial agonist/antagonist. These results demonstrate that hHCF-(7-34)NH2 interacts with PTH receptors based in large part on the region which is not homologous to PTH, and suggest the utility of the ROS 17/2.8 cell system for identifying weak agonism of PTH and hHCF analogues in vitro.