Xenophagy is a host process of pathogen clearance, which is hijacked by Francisella spp. and Brucella spp. for replication purposes and cell-to-cell spread, respectively.

Francisella tularensis capsular and lipopolysaccharide O-antigen is an essential component of xenophagy avoidance.

F. tularensis acquires amino acids generated via autophagy to grow unrestricted in the host cell cytosol.

Brucella abortus requires the autophagy proteins ATG9 and WIPI for biogenesis of the replicative vacuole.

B. abortus selectively subverts several autophagy initiation complexes to generate an autophagic vacuole important for egress and cell-to-cell spread.

The molecular mechanisms by which Francisella spp. and Brucella spp modulate their interactions with autophagic machinery pathway need to be elucidated.