A map of sphingosine 1-phosphate distribution in the spleen

Despite the importance of signaling lipids, many questions remain about their function because we have few tools to chart lipid gradients in vivo. Here we describe a sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) reporter mouse, and use this mouse to define S1P distribution in the spleen. Surprisingly, the presence of blood does not predict the concentration of signaling-available S1P. Large areas of the red pulp are S1P-low, while S1P can be sensed by cells inside the white pulp near the marginal sinus. Lipid phosphate phosphatase 3 maintains low S1P concentrations in the spleen, and enables efficient marginal zone B cell shuttling. The exquisitely tight regulation of S1P availability may explain how a single lipid can simultaneously orchestrate many immune cell movements.