PHAGOCYTIC PROCESSING OF ANTIGENS FOR PRESENTATION BY MHC MOLECULES

Phagocytosis plays a major role in the defence of higher organisms aga inst microbial infection not only by allowing ingested microbes to be destroyed by microbicidal mechanisms, but also by providing the basis for processing of their antigens to forms that generate immune respons es. This article examines the role of the phagolysosome in antigen pro cessing, and discusses the contributions of both MHC class II ann MHC class I molecules to the presentation of antigens derived from phagocy tosed material.