Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid signal transmitter present in blood. Blood
plasma S1P is supplied from erythrocytes and plays an important role in lymphocyte egress
from lymphoid organs. However, the S1P export mechanism from erythrocytes to blood
plasma is not well defined. To elucidate the mechanism of S1P export from erythrocytes, we
performed the enzymatic characterization of S1P transporter in rat erythrocytes. Rat
erythrocytes constitutively released S1P without any stimulus. The S1P release was reduced …