Kinase-gated coincidence detection controls kinesin-driven lysosome transport

Abstract

Kinesin motors drive long-range intracellular transport through coordinated cargo recognition and conformational autoregulation, yet the mechanisms that selectively control cargo engagement remain unclear. Here, we identify a phosphorylation-dependent gate on kinesin-1 activity mediated by the carboxy-terminal domain (CTD) of kinesin light chain 2 (KLC2). The KLC2 CTD is constitutively phosphorylated on multiple serine residues, suppressing membrane association via its amphipathic helix. We identify the NIMA-related kinase NEK10 as a KLC2-selective regulator of kinesin-1, restraining motor activation, cargo engagement, and lysosome transport; conversely, loss of NEK10 increases membrane association and, together with low-affinity adaptor interactions, promotes lysosome motility. These findings reveal a phosphorylation-regulated protein-lipid coincidence-detection mechanism - a kinesin-kinase code - that integrates adaptor binding with membrane cues to control kinesin-1-mediated transport and provide a mechanistic basis for understanding paralogue and isoform diversity in the kinesin-1 family.