Nat Commun

Dendritic cells (DCs) constitute a specialized population of immune cells that present exogenous antigen (Ag) on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules to initiate CD8 + T cell responses against pathogens and tumours. Although cross-presentation depends critically on the trafficking of Ag-containing intracellular vesicular compartments, the molecular machinery that regulates vesicular transport is incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that mice lacking Kif5b (the heavy chain of kinesin-1) in their DCs exhibit a major impairment in cross-presentation and thus a poor in vivo anti-tumour response. We find that kinesin-1 critically regulates antigen cross-presentation in DCs, by controlling Ag degradation, the endosomal pH, and MHC-I recycling. Mechanistically, kinesin-1 appears to regulate early endosome maturation by allowing the scission of endosomal tubulations. Our results highlight kinesin-1's role as a molecular checkpoint that modulates the balance between antigen degradation and cross-presentation.