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Updated: May 21, 2026

Investigating the Phagocytosis of Leishmania using Confocal Microscopy
Published on: July 29, 2021
Receptor-mediated phagocytosis of Leishmania: implications for intracellular survival
1Department of Microbiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
Abstract:
The extracellular promastigote stage of Leishmania spp. is transmitted to mammals by a sand fly vector. Leishmania promastigotes ligate host macrophage receptors, triggering phagocytosis and subsequent internalization, a crucial step for survival. Parasites transform intracellularly to the amastigote stage. Many studies document different receptors detecting promastigotes and amastigotes, but the relative importance of each interaction is ill-defined. Recent studies suggest that the macrophage receptors utilized during phagocytosis impact the intracellular fate of the parasite. This review summarizes the receptors implicated in Leishmania phagocytosis over the past 30 years. It then proceeds to weigh the evidence for or against their potential roles in intracellular parasite trafficking.
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