Unique carbohydrate–carbohydrate interactions are required for high affinity binding between FcγRIII and antibodies lacking core fucose

Antibody-mediated cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a key immune effector mechanism, relies on the binding of antigen-antibody complexes to Fcγ receptors expressed on immune cells. Antibodies lacking core fucosylation show a large increase in affinity for FcγRIIIa leading to an improved receptor-mediated effector function. Although afucosylated IgGs exist naturally, a next generation of recombinant therapeutic, glycoenginereed antibodies is currently being developed to exploit this finding. In this study, the crystal structures of a glycosylated Fcγ receptor complexed with either afucosylated or fucosylated Fc were determined allowing a detailed, molecular understanding of the regulatory role of Fc-oligosaccharide…