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Volume 27
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10.3390/ijms27010091
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Neuropeptide Neuroparsin-A Regulates the Establishment of Dominance Hierarchy in Bumblebees

by
Hao Wang
1,
Yuwen Liu
1,
Xiaohuan Mu
1,
Wenjing Xu
1,
Huiling Liu
1,
Qiyao Yong
1,
Xiaofei Wang
1,
Yifan Zhai
2 and
Hao Zheng
1,*
1
College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
2
Shandong Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010091 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 23 November 2025 / Revised: 19 December 2025 / Accepted: 19 December 2025 / Published: 21 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Ecology, Physiology and Biochemistry of Insects, 5th Edition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The regulation of reproductive division of labor in eusocial insects is pivotal for the evolution and maintenance of social organization. In Bombus terrestris, dominance hierarchies emerge among orphan workers through repeated agonistic interactions, forming distinct behavioral ranks. To explore the neural basis of this process, we combined behavioral assays with single-nucleus RNA sequencing to profile brain-wide gene expression across α-, β-, and γ-bumblebee workers. Our analyses revealed pronounced transcriptional divergence among Kenyon cells, which exhibited enrichment in synaptic, insulin, and MAPK signaling pathways. Among the neuropeptides examined, Neuroparsin-A was markedly upregulated in the Kenyon cells and glial cells of dominant workers, while its receptor, OR1, showed strong expression within Kenyon populations, suggesting a conserved neuropeptide–receptor axis in social Hymenoptera. Gene regulatory network inference further identified ecdysone-responsive transcription factors, including br, Eip74EF, Hr38, Hr3 and Hr4, as key regulators linked to neural plasticity and behavioral differentiation. Together, our findings uncover a neuroendocrine mechanism in which Neuroparsin-A signaling coordinates brain transcriptional programs associated with dominance hierarchy formation in queenless bumblebee societies, offering new insights into the molecular underpinnings of eusocial behavior.
Keywords: Bombus terrestris; neuropeptide signaling; dominance hierarchy; social behavior; gene regulatory network Bombus terrestris; neuropeptide signaling; dominance hierarchy; social behavior; gene regulatory network

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Wang, H.; Liu, Y.; Mu, X.; Xu, W.; Liu, H.; Yong, Q.; Wang, X.; Zhai, Y.; Zheng, H. The Neuropeptide Neuroparsin-A Regulates the Establishment of Dominance Hierarchy in Bumblebees. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010091

AMA Style

Wang H, Liu Y, Mu X, Xu W, Liu H, Yong Q, Wang X, Zhai Y, Zheng H. The Neuropeptide Neuroparsin-A Regulates the Establishment of Dominance Hierarchy in Bumblebees. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(1):91. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010091

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Hao, Yuwen Liu, Xiaohuan Mu, Wenjing Xu, Huiling Liu, Qiyao Yong, Xiaofei Wang, Yifan Zhai, and Hao Zheng. 2026. "The Neuropeptide Neuroparsin-A Regulates the Establishment of Dominance Hierarchy in Bumblebees" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 1: 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010091

APA Style

Wang, H., Liu, Y., Mu, X., Xu, W., Liu, H., Yong, Q., Wang, X., Zhai, Y., & Zheng, H. (2026). The Neuropeptide Neuroparsin-A Regulates the Establishment of Dominance Hierarchy in Bumblebees. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010091

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