Monoclonal antibodies specific for human IgM Fc receptor inhibit ligand-binding activity.

A panel of six different murine hybridoma clones secreting IgG monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the human IgM Fc receptor (FcμR) was generated. All MAbs specifically precipitated a major protein of ∼60 kDa from membrane lysates of FcμR-bearing, but not FcμR-negative, cells as did IgM-ligands. Pre-incubation of membrane lysate of FcμR-bearing cells with these MAbs completely removed the ∼60 kDa IgM-reactive protein. By using recombinant human/mouse chimeric FcμR proteins, the epitope recognized by HM7 and HM10 MAbs was mapped to the Ig-like domain of human FcμR, whereas the other MAbs recognized the stalk region. Pre-incubation of FcμR+ cells with the Ig-like domain-specific MAbs, but not with others, markedly inhibited subsequent IgM-ligand binding. A similar, but much weaker, inhibition was also observed when the incubation order was reversed. When FcμR+ cells were simultaneously incubated with both IgM-ligands and MAbs, HM7 MAb efficiently competed with IgM for FcμR binding. Unlike control Jurk...