The Rat Basophilic Leukemia Cell Receptor for IgE

Abstract Rat basophilic leukemia cells were labeled either enzymically with 125I or biosynthetically by culture in the presence of 14C-glucosamine or 3H-amino-acids and then extracted with NP-40. IgE-anti-IgE precipitates insolubilized a radiolabeled macromolecule from these extracts largely or entirely absent in control IgG-anti-IgG precipitates. When specific precipitates were boiled in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of SDS, most of the 14C or 125I radioactivity was in the area corresponding to an apparent m.w of 60,000 to 70,000 in 5.9% gels. In 10% and 12% gels, faster mobility was demonstrated indicating an atypical electrophoretic behavior often associated with glycoproteins and a presumptive m.w. of 50,000 or less. Since only IgE-containing precipitates localized lable in this region and since such precipitates from cells saturated with IgE prior to surface iodination failed to show this band, the labeled macromolecule appears to be the IgE receptor itself. Analysis of the acid hydrolysates of precipitated 14C radioactivity demonstrated that label was entirely in hexosamines and sialic acid. 125I and 14C labels in the receptor region were eliminated almost completely with pepsin and pronase and to a lesser extent with trypsin.