Fig. 17: Destruction of Intracellular Microbes by Autophagy

Intracellular microbes, such as viruses and bacteria that invade host cells, can also be engulfed once they enter the cytosol of the cell by a process called autophagy. Induction of autophagy enhancers causes a phagophore to begin to form around the microbe and the surrounding cytosol, eventually forming an autophagosome. A lysosomes fuses with the autophagosome to form an autolysosome and the microbe is destroyed.

Illustration of Destruction of Intracellular Microbes by Autophagy .jpg by Gary E. Kaiser, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology, The Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville Campus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://cwoer.ccbcmd.edu/science/microbiology/index_gos.html.

Creative Commons License

Last updated: August, 2019
Please send comments and inquiries to Dr. Gary Kaiser