Fc alpha RI/CD89

Fc alpha receptor I, designated CD89, is the transmembrane receptor for IgA expressed on myeloid cells, including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils and Kupffer cells. Two extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains bind both IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses, and activating signals are transduced by the associated Fc common gamma chain bearing an ITAM. Engagement by IgA-coated bacteria or immune complexes triggers phagocytosis, oxidative burst and inflammatory cytokine release, making the receptor central to mucosal immune defense. In IgA nephropathy, aberrant IgA-CD89 complexes shed from myeloid cells deposit in the kidney mesangium and drive glomerular inflammation.