Neutrophil activation by surface bound IgG is via a pertussis toxin insensitive G protein.

Pre-treatment of neutrophils with either pertussis or cholera toxins does not inhibit neutrophil activation by surface bound IgG. In contrast, pretreatment with the phorbol ester, phorbol myristate acetate, results in a dose dependent inhibition of degranulation by surface bound IgG. This inhibition is similar to that seen with soluble ligands where it is thought to be due to interference with the interaction of an activated guanine nucleotide binding protein with phospholipase C (J. Biol. Chem.,262,6121,1987). More directly, GTP binding and GTPase activity are enhanced when human neutrophil membranes are incubated in wells containing surface bound IgG. Neither of these G protein functions were inhibited when membranes were prepared in the presence of pertussis toxin, suggesting that neutrophil activation by surface bound IgG proceeds by a mechanism that involves a pertussis toxin insensitive G protein.