We report that engagement of a particular epitope near the C-terminal region of complement receptor type 3 (CR3, CD11b/CD18) alpha-chain with CD11b mAb VIM12 induces granulocyte activation with a rise in cytosolic-free Ca2+, actin polymerization, an up-regulation of CR3 cell surface expression and enhanced adhesiveness. Induction of enhanced adhesiveness and homotypic aggregation of human granulocytes represents an active process. It is temperature and energy dependent, requires divalent cations, and an intact cytoskeleton. The mAb VIM12-induced enhanced adhesiveness seems to be mediated, at least in part, by activated CR3 molecules. It can be significantly inhibited, although not completely abolished, with blocking mAbs against adhesiotopes of CR3. VIM12-induced adhesion could be blocked with the serine/threonine inhibitors okadaic acid and calyculin A and with dibuturyl-cAMP but not with the protein kinase inhibitors herbimycin A and staurosporine. We further present evidence that the particular molecular region of CR3 recognized by mAb VIM12 might be involved in the reported intramembrane sugar-lectin type interaction and complex formation between transmembrane CR3 and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored Fc gamma RIIIB (CD16) molecules on human granulocytes. Binding of mAb VIM12 to CR3 on granulocytes enhances the release of GPI-anchored Fc gamma RIIIB molecules from granulocytes upon phosphoinositol-phospholipase C treatment. The sugar preparation N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, previously shown to dissociate CR3-Fc gamma RIIIB complex formation, inhibits mAb VIM12 binding. Engagement of CR3 with mAb VIM12 may thus mimic a biologically relevant intramembrane cooperation between two distinct receptor molecules on human granulocytes.