The EGR family of transcription-regulatory factors: progress at the interface of molecular and systems neuroscience

The EGR family of transcription regulatory factors,which is implicated in o rchestrating the changes in gene expression that underlie neuronal plastici ty, has attracted the attention of both molecular and systems neuroscientis ts, In this article, the advances made in both these fields of research are reviewed. Recent systems-based studies underscore the remarkable sensitivi ty and specificity of the induction of the expression of genes encoding EGR -family members in naturally occurring plasticity paradigms. However, they also challenge conventional views of the role of this family in plasticity. Recent molecular studies have identified the gonadotropin subunit, luteini zing hormone beta, as an EGRI-regulated gene in vivo and uncovered an essen tial role for EGR3 in muscle-spindle development, In addition, the discover y of novel proteins that are capable of suppressing EGR-mediated transcript ion cast doubt over the prevalent assumption that changes in EGR mRNA or pr otein levels provide an accurate measure of EGR-driven transcriptional acti vity.