Characterization of human alveolar macrophage Fc gamma receptor III: a transmembrane glycoprotein that is shed under in vitro culture conditions.

Three classes of Fc gamma receptors (FcR) have been identified on blood leukocytes: FcRI, FcRII, and FcRIII. Two forms of FcRIII have recently been characterized; a phosphatidylinositol linked form is found on neutrophils, whereas a transmembrane form of the molecule is found on a subset of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Peripheral blood monocytes express low levels of FcRIII on their surface, whereas FcRIII is readily expressed by tissue macrophages. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the form of FcRIII expressed by normal human alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained from normal subjects by bronchoalveolar lavage. We found FcRIII expressed by AM has a molecular mass of 50 to 60 kD on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and migrates as a single band with a molecular mass of 35 kD after digestion with endoglycosidase F. Macrophage FcRIII was resistant to cleavage by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. These results demonstrate that FcRIII expressed by AM is a transmembrane glycoprotein similar to the molecule found on peripheral blood lymphocytes. Scatchard binding analysis using 125I-labeled mAb 3G8 showed that AM express similar numbers of FcRIII as found on neutrophils (73,300 +/- 16,300 versus 69,300 +/- 8,500 receptor sites/cell, respectively; P = 0.73), whereas fewer binding sites were found on FcRIII-positive peripheral blood lymphocytes (35,300 +/- 13,900; P = 0.04). Of note, we found expression of FcRIII by AM was selectively and dramatically reduced during short term in vitro incubation at 37 degrees C. Receptor shedding as a result of proteolytic cleavage is probably responsible for the reduced expression that occurs during short-term in vitro culture.