摘要：

The cellular immune response of insects is mediated by specialized blood cells that employ germline encoded receptors to recognize, engulf, and eliminate microbes through the process of phagocytosis. Phagocytosis is a vital component of innate immunity and research over the past 3 decades in model systems, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and mosquitoes, has led to the identification of an array of processes that invertebrates rely on to respond to invading microorganisms. Valuable insights have been gleaned from studies of insect phagocytes and, in this review, we highlight research related to the roles of receptors and intracellular signalling molecules involved in phagocytosis of bacterial and parasitic microbes.

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