A recent report from our group has described that upon engulfment of pathogens, a subset of phagosomes is formed to preserve antigens for prolonged presentation on MHC class II molecules. The distinctive feature of these particular vesicles is their coating with LC3/Atg8, a key component of the autophagy machinery. Here we discuss the possible outcomes of LC3-associated phagocytosis and its implications in the context of immunity.
Keywords: Atg8/LC3; MHC class II; macroautophagy; phagocytosis; phagosomal maturation.