GEOapplication/xmlftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/series/GSE325nnn/GSE325397/primaryOK200TranscriptomicsHarpegnathos saltatorExpression profiling by high throughput sequencinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE325397GEOGSEfalseSocially regulated genes display hyper-connectivity to enhancers in the ant brain [RNA-seq]Caste identity in Harpegnathos saltator ants remains plastic beyond development and throughout adulthood. Adult workers can elevate their social status in the colony and become dominant reproductives, called "gamergates". This transition in social caste is accompanied by extensive transcriptional and cellular changes in the brain. To uncover the chromatin mechanisms underlying this remarkable display of adult brain plasticity, we generated a comprehensive epigenomic atlas of the Harpegnathos brain, characterizing the chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, and 3D genome architecture. We annotated putative enhancers, refined the genome assembly, and linked distal enhancers to their gene targets. We identified several known and novel architectural transcription factors that likely support chromatin looping in different genomic contexts. A disproportionate amount of transcription factors are upregulated during the behavioral transition from worker to gamergate, and many of their promoters make extensive 3D contacts to distal regulatory regions, similar to what has been observed in the human frontal cortex. We propose that this hyper-connectivity is essential for properly converting social cues into brain plasticity, resulting in stable behavioral and social reprogramming.2026/05/26GSE325397GSM9602382GSM9602381GSM9602384GSM9602383GSM9602380GSM9602401GSM9602400GSM9602389GSM9602386GSM9602385GSM9602388GSM9602387GSM9602393GSM9602392GSM9602395GSM9602394GSM9602391GSM9602390GSM9602379GSM9602378GSM9602397GSM9602375GSM9602396GSM9602374GSM9602399GSM9602377GSM9602398GSM960237636724325397Harpegnathos saltator