PARP12-catalyzed mono-ADP-ribosylation of Golgin-97 controls the transport of E-cadherin

ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification involved in physiological and pathological events catalyzed by Poly-ADP-Ribosyl-Polymerase (PARP) enzymes. Substrates of this reaction have been identified by mass-spectrometry, but the definition of PARPs-regulated cellular functions remains scarce. Here, we have analyzed the control of intracellular membrane traffic by the mono-ADP-ribosyl-transferase PARP12, motivated by its localization at the trans-Golgi network. By using bioinformatics, mutagenesis and cell biology approaches we identified Golgin-97, a protein regulating exocytosis, as a PARP12-specific substrate. Mono-ADP-ribosylation of Golgin-97 residues E558-E559-E565 is required for supporting traffic from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane. This step is halted when PARP12 is deleted or when the Golgin-97 ADP-ribosylation-defective mutant is expressed. Under these conditions E-cadherin, whose transport is controlled by Golgin-97, does not reach the plasma membrane but accumulates in a trans-Golgi proximal compartment. Thus, we demonstrate that the ADP-ribosylation of Golgin-97 is required for E-cadherin exocytosis and thus this event may regulate the sorting of exocytic carriers as well as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.