Receptors for the Fc region of IgG (Fc gamma R) on mononuclear phagocytes have been shown to play an important role in the removal of IgG-opsonized particles from the circulation. We found that all three types of Fc gamma R (CD64, CD32, and CD16) in cultured human monocytes are associated with the gamma-chain homodimer that is also present in the high affinity receptor for IgE. Immunoprecipitates of each of these Fc gamma R, prepared from 1% digitonin lysates of cultured human monocytes, incorporated phosphate into a gamma-chain homodimer when incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP. Fc gamma RII immunoprecipitates also incorporated phosphate into Fc gamma RII itself. When human alveolar macrophages were used, similar results were obtained. Although to a minor extent, each anti-Fc gamma R immunoprecipitate from freshly purified monocytes also coprecipitated gamma-chains. These Fc gamma R and gamma-chains did not constitute one large complex, because anti-Fc gamma RI or anti-Fc gamma RIII immunoprecipitates did not coprecipitate Fc gamma RII. In addition, F (ab')2 fragments of anti-Fc gamma R mAb bound to intact cells were recovered in the anti-gamma-chain immunoprecipitates but not in immunoprecipitates made with anti-Fc gamma RIII or anti-Fc gamma RII mAb. When recovery of radioactivity in anti-gamma-chain immunoprecipitates was compared with that in anti-mouse-Ig immunoprecipitates, approximately 25% of the Fc gamma RI and 20% of the Fc gamma RII expressed at the cell surface were associated with gamma-chains. The gamma-chains may play an important role in signal transduction via Fc gamma R in human macrophages.