Survival Intracellular survival of Leishmania Leishmania survives lysosomal killing and even divides inside the phagolysosomal compartment of macrophages. Formation of these radicals occurs locally at the place of engulfment allowing the active oxygen species to react with the phospholipids of the pathogen's membrane which then becomes permeabilized.
Radicals also react with the pathogen's macromolecules such as DNA by introducing strand breaks.
As a result proteins start to denature and unfold which renders them accessible to hydrolases. Macromolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins and carbohydrates are now degraded and the pathogen digested. Leishmania amastigotes have an active proton pump to keep their intracellular pH close to neutral.