Fusion, Fission, and Secretion During Phagocytosis

Kassidy K. Huynh 1 ,* , Jason G. Kay 2 ,* , Jennifer L. Stow 2 and Sergio Grinstein 1 1 Division of Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; and 2 Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia sga{at}sickkids.ca Phagocytosis is essential for the elimination of pathogens and for clearance of apoptotic bodies. The ingestion process entails extensive remodeling of the cellular membranes, particularly when large and/or multiple particles are engulfed. The membrane fusion and fission events that accompany phagocytosis are described. The coordinated sequence of membrane trafficking events required for phagocytosis involves multiple organelles and also serves other cellular functions, such as cytokine secretion. * Contributed equally to the preparation of this review.