What does C-FOS do in the brain?

What does C-FOS do in the brain?

c-Fos is currently used as a marker of neuronal activity and has been associated with a number of neural and behavioral responses to acute stimuli expression.

What is C-FOS a marker of?

C-fos is a proto-oncogene that is expressed within some neurons following depolarization. The protein product, c-fos protein, can be identified by immunohistochemical techniques. Therefore, c-fos expression might be used as a marker for neuronal activity throughout the neuraxis following peripheral stimulation.

How does C-FOS work?

c-Fos encodes a 62 kDa protein, which forms heterodimer with c-jun (part of Jun family of transcription factors), resulting in the formation of AP-1 (Activator Protein-1) complex which binds DNA at AP-1 specific sites at the promoter and enhancer regions of target genes and converts extracellular signals into changes …

What does fos protein do?

Fos protein, encoded by the c-fos gene, is part of the AP-1 transcription factor and is an established activity marker for neurons (Dragunow and Faull, 1989).

How is c-Fos related to neuronal survival?

Emerging evidence suggests that c- fos is essential in regulating neuronal cell survival versus death 10. Although c- fos is induced by neuronal activity, including kainic acid-induced seizures 11, 12, 13, 14, whether and how c- fos is involved in excitotoxicity is still unknown.

How is c-Fos protein used as a marker for neuronal activity?

The protein product, c-fos protein, can be identified by immunohistochemical techniques. Therefore, c-fos expression might be used as a marker for neuronal activity throughout the neuraxis following peripheral … C-fos is a proto-oncogene that is expressed within some neurons following depolarization.

How is c-Fos related to excitotoxicity in the hippocampus?

Although c- fos is induced by neuronal activity, including kainic acid-induced seizures 11, 12, 13, 14, whether and how c- fos is involved in excitotoxicity is still unknown. To address this issue, we generated a mouse in which c- fos expression is largely eliminated in the hippocampus.

How is c-Fos used as a transcription factor?

Although c-Fos and other IEGs ultimately function as transcription factors and regulate downstream target genes, c-Fos has most widely been used as a functional marker of activity in neurons and neuronal circuitries after a variety of stimuli.