![]() ![]() First Contacts between Phagocytes and Phagocytic Prey ![]() For these reasons, together with the fact that it is highly conserved and essential for survival, we believe that phagocytosis is poised to remain a cornerstone of discovery in cell biology for the next 100 years. The complexity and versatility of phagocytosis, as well as the enormous gaps in our understanding of the process will become evident in the following text. We explore the conditions that prime macrophages for phagocytosis, the first contacts between the phagocytes and their prey, and the events that orchestrate remodeling of the cytoskeleton for successful particle engulfment. The glycocalyx, which is composed of membrane glycoproteins and glycolipids, as well as adherent polysaccharides, forms a barrier of varying density and length that can curtail access of macromolecules and particulate material to the surface of the cell its role in phagocyte biology has been sorely ignored. For reasons of space, this review centers on the phagocytic function of macrophages, paying particular attention to the cytoskeleton and its interplay with the glycocalyx, the pericellular coat that surrounds virtually every animal cell. Of these, macrophages have been studied in greatest detail because they are more amenable to molecular manipulation, and generally more forgiving than are neutrophils and dendritic cells. Many cell types can perform phagocytosis, but professional phagocytes specialize and excel at engulfing and eliminating their targets. ![]()
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