Location in the spleen dictates the function of murine neutrophils

In this issue of JEM, Deniset et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20161621) provide new data that extend our knowledge on the mechanisms whereby Streptococcus pneumoniae is cleared by the spleen. The authors identify novel populations of murine splenic neutrophils that localize in the red pulp and the marginal zone. During the acute phases of S. pneumoniae infection, these populations of splenic neutrophils act in concert with specialized macrophage and B cell populations to provide very rapid innate immune protection.