Distribution function approach to the study of the kinetics of IgM antibody binding to FcγRIIIb (CD16b) receptors on neutrophils by flow cytometry

Though flow cytometry provides the entire distribution of cellular fluorescence (i.e., “fluorescence profile”), only mean fluorescence data are usually considered in studies of ligand–receptor binding. In this study, we presented a method of the treatment of the temporal evolution of the whole fluorescence profile with a comprehensive statistical approach extended to the reversible binding case. The method was demonstrated in the study of the 1D3 IgM monoclonal antibodies binding to FcγRIIIb receptors (CD16b) on neutrophils. Kinetic experiments were carried out using a FACSCalibur (Becton Dickinson, USA) flow cytometer. For each of four donors, we obtained the distribution of the number of FcγRIIIb surface receptors for neutrophils and the rate constants per receptor: the association rate constant of (2.7±0.4)×107 M−1 min−1, and the dissociation rate constant of (1.3±0.4)×10−1 min−1. Based on the obtained values, the size of the receptor reaction site was estimated at approximately 1 nm. It was found, that cell receptors distributions differed sufficiently between donors in mean and the skewness values, whereas the coefficient of variation (i.e., the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean) did not vary significantly.

► Evolution of cellular fluorescent profiles during ligand–receptor binding was modeled.
► Rate constants (association and dissociation) on a single receptor were measured.
► The size of the receptor reaction site was estimated.
► The cells distribution of the number of surface receptors was obtained for each donor.