Sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 activation promotes sociability and regulates transcripts important for anxiolytic-like behavior.

We previously demonstrated that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 3 (S1PR3) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) prevents reductions in sociability normally caused by stress. S1PR3 is a ubiquitously expressed G-protein coupled receptor that regulates immune system function, although its regulation of other biological processes is not well understood. Pharmacological activators of S1PR3 might provide important insights for understanding the neural substrates underlying sociability.