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The Phagosome: Compartment with a License to Kill
The term ‘phagocytosis’ is used here to describe the process of ingestion per se, whereas ‘phagosome maturation’ refers to the process of intracellular phagosome development after closure of the phagocytic cup. The term ‘phagosome’ is used for endocytic compartments that contain a non-interfering particle, whereas ‘vacuole’ describes a compartment containing a particle such as a pathogen that diverts normal phagosome maturation.
Albert Haas, albert.haas@uni-bonn.de
Abstract
Phagosomes are fascinating subcellular structures. After all, there are only a few compartments that are born before our very eyes and whose development we can follow in a light microscope until their contents disintegrate and are completely absorbed. Yet, some phagosomes are taken advantage of by pathogenic microorganisms, which change their fate. Research into phagosome biogenesis has flourished in recent years – the purpose of this review is to give a glimpse of where this research stands, with emphasis on the cell biology of macrophage phagosomes, on new model organisms for the study of phagosome biogenesis and on intracellular pathogens and their interference with normal phagosome function.