Induced expression and association of the Mona/Gads adapter and Gab3 scaffolding protein during monocyte/macrophage differentiation

Mona/Gads is a Grb2-related, Src homology 3 (SH3) and SH2 domain-containing adapter protein whose expression is restricted to cells of hematopoietic lineage (i.e., monocytes and T lymphocytes). During monocyte/ macrophage differentiation, Mona is induced and interacts with the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor, M-CSFR (also called Fins), suggesting that Mona could be involved in developmental signaling downstream of the M-CSFR by recruiting additional signaling proteins to the activated receptor. Our present results identify Mona as a specific partner protein for the DOS/Gab family member Gab3 in monocytic/ macrophage development. Mona does not interact with Gab2; however, Gab3 also forms a complex with the Mona-related adapter Grb2. Glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments demonstrate that the Mona and Gab3 interaction utilizes the carboxy-terminal SH3 domain of Mona and the atypical proline-rich domain of Gab3. Mona is known to interact with the phosphorylated Y697 site of the M-CSFR. The M-CSFR mutation Y697F exhibited qualitative and quantitative abnormalities in receptor and Gab3 tyrosine phosphorylation, and Mona induction was greatly reduced. The Y807F M-CSFR mutation is defective in differentiation signaling, but not growth signaling, and also fails to induce Mona protein expression. During M-CSF-stimulated macrophage differentiation of mouse bone marrow cells, Mona and Gab3 expression is coinduced, these proteins interact, and Mona engages in multimolecular complexes. These data suggest that association of Mona and Gab3 plays a specific role in mediating the M-CSFR differentiation signal.