The monoclonal antibody 332-01 is a newly developed antibody which specifically recognizes human desLys58-beta2 microglobulin (dbeta2m). In the present study, we characterized the binding of 332-01 to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), a number of human leukaemic and monocytic cell lines, and beta2m gene-deleted murine lymphocytes. dbeta2m was found to be expressed on non-activated and activated monocytes. When cells were pre-exposed to dbeta2m, 332-01 also bound to non-activated T lymphocytes. dbeta2m was expressed on the monocytic cell lines U937 and TIB-202, and binding was significantly increased when cells were pre-incubated with dbeta2m and when TIB-202 cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharide. dbeta2m was also expressed on T leukaemic Jurkat cells as well as on low HLA-expressing erythroleukaemic K562 cells. beta2m gene-deleted murine splenocytes only bound 332-01 after pre-exposure to dbeta2m. Binding of 332-01 antibody could not be displaced by addition of high concentrations of native beta2m. In conclusion, our data indicate that dbeta2m - in contrast to native beta2m - binds to a hitherto unknown cell surface receptor independent of classical MHC class I molecules. As beta2m has previously been shown to display biological activities such as the induction of both growth promotion and apoptosis, C1 complement activity, shown to mediate cleavage of beta2m, could be involved in these processes.