Tyrosine phosphorylation of a gamma-chain homodimer associated with Fc gamma RIII (CD16) in cultured human monocytes.

The efficient expression of transmembrane-anchored Fc gamma RIIIa requires the presence of other peptides, such as the gamma-chain of the IgE receptor I or the zeta-chain of the TCR. We found that Fc gamma RIIIa in cultured human monocytes is specifically associated with the gamma-chain homodimer, and that the gamma-chains in this complex are phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. Anti-Fc gamma RIII immunoprecipitates, which were prepared from 1% digitonin lysates of cultured human monocytes, incorporated phosphate into a homodimer consisting of two 14-kDa polypeptides when incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP. Identity of this co-associated structure of Fc gamma RIIIa as the gamma-chain dimer was confirmed by elution of the protein from the anti-Fc gamma RIII immunoabsorbent with 1% Nonidet P-40 detergent and reimmunoprecipitation with anti-gamma-chain antibody. Phosphoamino acid analysis showed that the gamma-chain exclusively contained phosphotyrosine. The gamma-chain was also phosphorylated when electropermeabilized cells were activated by cross-linking Fc gamma RIIIa. The gamma-chain may play an important role in signal transduction via Fc gamma RIIIa in human macrophages.