Abstract
Neutrophil recruitment to sites of injury or infection is essential for host defense, but it needs to be tightly regulated to prevent tissue damage. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), which generates the phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P(3)], is necessary for neutrophil motility in vivo; however, the role of SH2-domain-containing 5-inositol phosphatase (SHIP) enzymes, which hydrolyze PI(3,4,5)P(3) to phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P(2)], is not well understood. Here we show that SHIP phosphatases limit neutrophil motility in live zebrafish. Using real-time imaging of bioprobes specific for PI(3,4,5)P(3) and PI(3,4)P(2) in neutrophils, we found that PI(3,4,5)P(3) and PI(3,4)P(2) accumulate at the leading edge while PI(3,4)P(2) also localizes to the trailing edge of migrating neutrophils in vivo. Depletion of SHIP phosphatases using morpholino oligonucleotides led to increased neutrophil 3D motility and neutrophil infiltration into wounds. The increase in neutrophil wound recruitment in SHIP morphants was rescued by treatment with low dose PI3Kγ inhibitor, suggesting that SHIP limits neutrophil motility by modulating PI3K signaling. Moreover, overexpression of the SHIP phosphatase domain in neutrophils impaired neutrophil 3D migration. Taken together, our findings suggest that SHIP phosphatases control neutrophil inflammation by limiting neutrophil motility in vivo.