Figure 3.

Schematic representation of phagosome maturation. Following the internalization of foreign particles, the phagosome sequentially forms early phagosomes, late phagosomes and phagolysosomes. The newly formed phagosome acquires the proteins needed for its maturation via a series of fusions and fissions with endocytic organelles (early endosome, late endosome, lysosome and recycling vesicles), and the late phagosome fuses with the lysosome for the removal of foreign particles, using various hydrolytic enzymes, antimicrobial peptides and ROS.