A single-cell transcriptomic atlas of paper wasp brains highlights Kenyon cells' role in social behavior

Observing social interactions in Polistes fuscatus paper wasps induces overlapping transcriptional and neural activation signatures in Kenyon cell neurons.

• Why it matters: Social insects’ behaviors depend on brain mechanisms that remain unclear, especially how social state and social observation are encoded at cellular resolution.
• What they did: Single-cell sequencing profiled 96,310 cells from four phenotypes (foundresses, workers, gynes, and males) to map central brain transcriptomes and test responses to social interaction and observation.
• The result: Social interaction and even observation triggered significant transcriptomic changes, including neural activation signatures across Kenyon cell populations, with overlap suggesting a shared neural program.

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