We have previously shown that, unlike monomeric IgE, chemically derived dimers, trimers, and heavier oligomers of IgE were internalized efficiently. This finding suggested that endocytosis, like mediator release, is triggered by cross-linking of the cell surface receptors for IgE. In the present study, we analyzed the temporal and functional relationships between the two events. We used rat basophilic leukemia cells (RBL-HR+-2H3) and rat peritoneal mast cells, which were allowed to bind monomeric 125I mouse IgE hybridoma anti-dinitrophenyl (HI-DNP-E-26-82), and the polyvalent antigen 131I-dinitrophenylated human serum albumin (DNP15-HSA). We found that at 37 degrees C, 50% of the cell surface-bound immune complexes were internalized rapidly (t1/2 3 to 5 min) by RBL-HR+-2H3 cells with only minimal reduction (1/3) in the extent of internalization when very few of the receptors (approximately 5%) were saturated with IgE. Normal mast cells internalized cell surface-bound immune complexes at a similar rate (t1/2 4 to 5 min). Unlike serotonin release, internalization was independent of extracellular calcium and continued to increase as the ratio of DNP15-HSA to IgE increased 10- to 100-fold over the ratio required for optimal histamine release. In the RBL cells, internalization preceded serotonin release, reaching a peak at about 10 min, while the release (t1/2 13 to 19 min) continued for up to 60 min. Presumably, some of the cross-linked IgE internalized less effectively and continued to trigger serotonin release. The reverse relationship between the rates of internalization and release (t1/2 less than 1 min) was found in normal rat mast cells. We conclude that although cross-linking of two or more receptors triggered both endocytosis and exocytosis, the two events are not necessarily sequential.