Genetic signatures of dominance hierarchies reveal conserved cis-regulatory and brain gene expression underlying aggression in a facultatively social bee.

Abstract

Agonistic interactions among individuals can result in the formation of dominance hierarches that can reinforce individual behavior and social status. Such dominance hierarches precede the establishment of reproductive dominance, division of labor and caste formation in highly social insect taxa. As such, deciphering the molecular basis of aggression is fundamental in understanding the mechanisms of social evolution. Assessing the proximate mechanisms of aggression in incipiently social bees can provide insights into the foundations of genomic mechanisms of social behavior. Here, we measured the effects of aggression on brain gene expression in the incipiently social bee, Ceratina australensis. We examine the brain transcriptomic differences between individuals who have experienced recurrent winning, losing, or a change in rank during repeated encounters. Using comparative analyses across taxa, we identify deeply conserved candidate genes, pathways, and regulatory networks for the formation of social hierarchies.