Integrin-mediated adhesion is a divalent cation-dependent process. Whether divalent cations directly participate in ligand binding or exert their effects indirectly by affecting the overall structure of the integrin heterodimers is not known. In this study we describe the epi-tope of the mAb H52 which has been mapped to a predicted disulfide-bonded loop (C386 and C400) in the g 2 integrin subunit. In the presence of Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ , the H52 epitope is expressed on the monomeric g 2 subunit, the LFA-1 and Mac-1 heterodimers but not on p150,95, thus implying that this epitope is masked in p150,95. However, expression of the H52 epitope on Mac-1, but not on LFA-1, or the monomeric g 2 subunit, is dependent on the presence of Ca 2+ , thus suggesting that the chelation of Ca 2+ causes a conformational change in Mac-1 which results in the loss of the epitope. These results suggest that expression of the H52 epitope on the g 2 subunit is dependent on its interaction with the different § sub-units. Since the epitope itself is not required for heterodimer formation nor for ligand binding, occupancy of a Ca 2+ binding site(s) must therefore affect the § g subunit interactions, and thus the overall conformation of Mac-1.