The Fc gamma receptor of natural killer cells is a phospholipid-linked membrane protein.

Three types of receptor for the Fc (constant) region of human immunoglobulin G have been described; FcRI, a high-affinity (Ka approximately equal to 10(8) M-1) receptor expressed on monocytes; FcRII (CD32), a low-affinity (Ka approximately equal to 10(6) M-1) receptor expressed on B cells, granulocytes, macrophages and platelets; and FcRIII (CD16, FcRIo), a low-affinity receptor expressed on macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, natural killer cells and a subset of T cells believed to comprise the suppressor cells. Anti-CD16 antibodies block natural killer-cell mediated antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Binding of aggregated IgG to CD16 on natural killer cells leads to the expression of lymphocyte activation antigens, mediator release, morphological changes and lytic activity. We report here the isolation of a complementary DNA clone encoding CD16 determinants which gave rise to IgG binding of the expected affinity and subtype specificity in COS cells, and which proved to encode a phospholipid anchored protein. A single messenger RNA transcript was found in all positive RNA samples, and N-glycanase treatment showed the form found in COS cells was identical to the form present on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). We also show that CD16 is most closely related to the alpha-form of the murine IgG 2b/1 receptor and propose that extracellular contacts mediate the signal initiated by IgG binding.