Figure 1.

Model of the Francisella intracellular cycle depicting stages that are common to murine and human phagocytes. Upon phagocytosis, bacteria reside in an early phagosome (FCP) that interacts with early (EE) and late (LE) endocytic compartments but not lysosomes (Lys). Bacteria rapidly disrupt the FCP membrane and reach the cytosol where they undergo extensive replication, a process followed by cell death, bacterial release, and subsequent infection.