Foreign particles and apoptotic bodies are eliminated from the body by phagocytic leucocytes. The initial stage of the elimination process is the internalization of the particles into a plasma membrane-derived vacuole known as the phagosome. Such nascent phagosomes, however, lack the ability to kill pathogens or to degrade the ingested targets. These properties are acquired during the course of phagosomal maturation, a complex sequence of reactions that result in drastic remodelling of the phagosomal membrane and contents. The determinants and consequences of the fusion and fission reactions that underlie phagosomal maturation are the topic of this review.

Phagocytosis requires localized and transient remodeling of actin filaments. Phosphoinositide signaling is believed to play an important role in cytoskeletal organization, but it is unclear whether lipids, which can diffuse along the membrane, can mediate the focal actin assembly required for phagocytosis. We used imaging of fluorescent chimeras of pleckstrin homology and C1 domains in live macrophages to monitor the distribution of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (4,5-PIP2) and diacylglycerol, respectively, during phagocytosis. Our results reveal a sequence of exquisitely localized, coordinated steps in phospholipid metabolism: a focal, rapid accumulation of 4,5-PIP2 accompanied by recruitment of type Iα phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase to the phagosomal cup, followed by disappearance of the phosphoinositide as the phagosome seals. Loss of 4,5-PIP2 correlated with mobilization of phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ) and with the localized formation of diacylglycerol. The presence of 4,5-PIP2 and active PLCγ at the phagosome was shown to be essential for effective particle ingestion. The temporal sequence of phosphoinositide metabolism suggests that accumulation of 4,5-PIP2 is involved in the initial recruitment of actin to the phagocytic cup, while its degradation contributes to the subsequent cytoskeletal remodeling.