Single-cell molecular and developmental perspectives of sexually dimorphic circuits underlying innate social behaviors

While single-cell transcriptomics in the brain has uncovered a vast diversity of neural cell types in unprecedented detail, it is becoming increasingly urgent to address what exactly their functional roles are in the context of circuits and behavior. In this review, we discuss the molecular profiling of cell types in circuits underlying social behaviors in mice as a prominent case study. We first highlight key roles of molecularly identified sensory and downstream neurons involved in sexually dimorphic behaviors. We then propose future opportunities to define cell types using multimodal criteria, especially gene expression, physiology, as well as the developmental origin, to advance our understanding of these circuits.

Automated summary

Single-cell transcriptomics has revealed a variety of neural cell types in the brain, and there is a pressing need to understand their functional roles in circuits and behavior. This review focuses on the molecular profiling of cell types involved in social behaviors in mice, highlighting key roles of sensory and downstream neurons in sexually dimorphic behaviors, and proposes using multimodal criteria to define cell types for a better understanding of circuits.