Ligation of IgG Fc receptors on polymorphonuclear leukocytes causes an increase in the concentration of fre intracytoplasmic Ca2+ ([Ca2+1J which arises from release of intracellular stores but is Independent of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. We found that bromophenacyl bromide (BPB), an alkylating agent which Inhibits leukocyte degranulation, adherence, and phagocytosis, inhibited IgG-stimulated These data suggest that the actin cytoskeleton is essential for signal tru ction from plasma membrane Fc receptors and that l-plastin has a critical role in activation of this pathway.The rise in intracytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2~+f) induced by Fc receptor (FcR) ligation is necessary for fusion of secretory granules with the plasma membrane, increased expression of other receptors, phagosome-lysosome fusion, and perhaps chemotaxis (1-6). Increases in [Ca2+]i can occur after ligation ofeither FcRII or FcRIII (7-9) and are produced entirely through release from intracellular stores, without a contribution from extracellular Ca2+ (7,9,10). This [Ca2+] rise, in contrast to fMet-Leu-Phe receptor stimulation, proceeds via a pertussis toxin-insensitive pathway which is independent of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) generation (10). rise. These data demonstrate that rearrangements in the actin cytoskeleton triggered by FcR ligation are critical in release ofCa2+ from intracellular stores and suggest that I-plastin has a role in this process.MATERIALS AND METHODS General Methods. PMNs were purified and loaded with fura-2, fluorescence was measured, and [Ca2+]i was calculated exactly as described (7, 10, 18). All buffers contained 1.5 mM Ca2+. Agonists including aggregated IgG, immune complexes, and stock solutions of platelet-activating factor, fMet-Leu-Phe, and phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate were prepared, and phagocytosis of IgG-opsonized sheep erythrocytes was measured as described (7,10,18