We examined the expression of Fc epsilon-RI and Fc gamma-RII/III on mouse bone marrow cells enriched for hematopoietic progenitors including mast cell progenitors. Bone marrow cells were depleted of mature hematopoietic lineages and a primitive population of cells that express the proto-oncogene c-kit (KIT+ lineage- cells) was isolated. KIT+ lineage- cells stain positively using the Ab 2.4G2, indicating surface expression of Fc gamma-RII and/or Fc gamma-RIII. Fluorescent staining of intracytoplasmic domains of Fc gamma-RII and Fc gamma-RIII revealed that these cells express primarily Fc gamma-RII on their surface. KIT+ lineage- cells did express Fc gamma RIII alpha-chain protein, but predominately in the nuclear/perinuclear area. We could not detect surface expression of Fc epsilon-RI by KIT+ lineage- cells, although a heterogeneous population of KIT- cells does bind IgE with high affinity and may reflect cells of the basophilic lineage. KIT+ lineage- cells cultured with SCF and IL-3 generate numerous mast cells, whereas equivalent numbers of KIT- cells or naive bone marrow cells do not. In these cultures, surface expression of Fc epsilon-RI is detected on a small number of cells by day 3 of culture with increased surface expression levels correlating roughly with metachromatic granule formation. The fact that Fc gamma-RIII and Fc epsilon-RI are not expressed on the cell surface of KIT+ lineage- cells but appear later in hematopoietic development makes it unlikely that these receptors influence early hematopoietic differentiation. The role that might justify such a complete surface expression of Fc gamma-RII by bone marrow progenitors remains to be identified.