Elevated AP-1 DNA-binding activity in rat brain during ethanol withdrawal.

The DNA-binding activity of the transcription factors AP-1, CREB and OCT was investigated in nuclear extracts of brains from rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal. AP-1 DNA-binding activity but not that of CREB or OCT was increased in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum 15 and 17 hr after ethanol withdrawal. A similar increase in AP-1 binding activity was observed in subcortical structures at 17 hr of ethanol withdrawal. No change in any transcription factor DNA-binding activity was observed in the brain stem. Our results suggest that increased expression of immediate early genes is coupled with an increase in DNA-binding function, indicating that they may play a role in the long-term molecular response to ethanol withdrawal.