Mouse macrophage Fc receptor for IgG gamma 2b/gamma 1 in artificial and plasma membrane vesicles functions as a ligand-dependent ionophore.

We tested the effect of specific ligands to the mouse macrophage IgG gamma 2b/gamma 1 Fc fragment receptor (FcR) on ion permeability of plasma membrane vesicles prepared from J774 macrophages by nitrogen cavitation. The monoclonal antibody directed against IgG gamma 2b/gamma 1 FcR (gamma 2b/gamma 1 FcR), 2.4G2 IgG, and soluble and immobilized immunocomplexes induces a dramatic cation flow through plasma membrane vesicles, as measured by [3H]tetraphenylphosphonium+ accumulation. Challenge with the monovalent 2.4G2 Fab also produces an ion flow but the effect is smaller by a factor of 2, and three other monoclonal antibodies directed against major surface antigens of mouse macrophages produce no net ion flow. Membrane vesicles incubated with FcR ligands do not discriminate between Na+ and K+ and show low permeability to Ca2+. gamma 2b/gamma 1 FcR was purified by using monoclonal 2.4G2 and reconstituted into proteoliposomes. Under these circumstances, the purified receptor increased the cation permeability of the proteoliposomes in the presence of specific ligands. The data indicate that the gamma 2b/gamma 1 FcR of J774 macrophages functions as a ligand-dependent ionophore. The ion influx into macrophages mediated by the FcR may play an important role as a signal for internalization of membranes and stimulus-secretion coupling.