INDUCTION OF EARLY-RESPONSE GENES AFTER FOCAL ISCHEMIA

FOS and JUN proteins are encoded by cellular early response or immedia te early genes (IEGs). They act as transcription factors and are thoug ht to represent third or fourth messengers in an intracellular cascade of stimulus transcription coupling, which converts neuronal excitatio n into a complex program of cellular responses that finally results in the regulation of target gene expression. Cloning of IEGs and generat ion of specific antibodies to individual IEG-encoded proteins have off ered tools to study gene activation in situ. Recent investigations hav e demonstrated IEG induction in vivo in the nervous system after a var iety of physiological and pathophysiological conditions including noci ception, regeneration and epilepsy. Only a few studies have dealt with molecular details of stimulus transcription coupling after ischemia. The present review summarizes what is currently known about the coordi nated activation of different IEGs in the central nervous system after experimental focal ischemia.