Regional differences of immediate early gene expressions in the brain of El mice as examined with development and seizure history.

Rapid genomic responses to neural stimulation may play a critical role in long-term synaptic plasticity.' Recent works have strengthened this idea by demonstrating that neurotransmitter-induced long-term synaptic plasticity requires RNA and protein synthesis during critical time window immediately following stimulation? These studies prompted the suggestion that genes, like c-fos, that are rapidly induced by cell-surface-receptor stimulation by either a growth factor or neurotransmitter~~ might be involved in the early genomic response underlying long-term synaptic plasticity*. Activation of Immediate Early Genes (IEGs) occurs by increased transcription and is thought to represent the primary genomic response to stimulations, since it does not require protein synthesis. Several IEGs code for transcription factors. These include members of thefos families, which dimerize to form the transcription regulatory