Activation of immediate early genes and memory formation

Long-term plastic changes in the brain, including those supporting memory f ormation, are assumed to depend on permanent functional alterations in neur onal cells that require reprogramming of gene expression. Inducible transcr iption factors encoded by immediate early genes such as c-fos, c-jun, jun-B and zif/268 (also known as krox-24, egr-1, TIS 8, NGFI-A or zenk) are supp osed to act as messengers in coupling short-term neuronal activity with cha nges at the level of gene transcription. This review will summarize studies on the expression of transcription factor-encoding immediate early genes i n the vertebrate brain during behavioral training. Special emphasis will be given to correlative or interventive experimental evidence indicative of a physiological significance of inducible transcription factors for processe s underlying learning and memory formation.