Scaling relationship between phagocytic cup and engulfment forces

Abstract

Phagocytosis is an integral process of the immune system whereby immune cells engulf foreign particles, harmful bacteria, and cell debris. In order to achieve successful engulfment, phagocytes probe their environment with thin protrusions, attach and recognize surface ligands of the target, form a cup-like structure that advances around the target, and finally enclose the cup into a phagosome. This process requires tightly regulated organization and disassembly of the underlying actin cytoskeleton in space and time.