Antibody receptors steal the sweet spotlight

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies function, in part, through ligation of cell- surface Fc receptors such as Fc gamma RIIIA ( also known as CD16A). IgG glycosylation is known to impact antibody function, but the role of Fc gamma RIIIA glycans, if any, is unclear. Patel et al. now reveal that these glycans do impact protein conformation and IgG affinity and display cell-specific glycosylation patterns, leading to a potential model in which the affinity and possibly function of Fc receptors is dictated by the cell type and its surface glycome.