Phagocytosis: the convoluted way from nutrition to adaptive immunity

Abstract

Phagocytosis, the process by which cells internalize large particulate materials from their milieu and sequester them in phagosomes, plays a role in a variety of cell functions ranging from nutrition in ameba to innate and adaptive immunity in mammals. Recent findings revealed unexpected characteristics of phagosomes, highlighting how this complex organelle may have evolved, from Dictyostelium to human, to become a key player in our ability to mount an efficient immune response against a variety of intracellular pathogens.