Expression of immediate early genes (IEGs) was examined following long-term desensitization of cerebellar Purkinje cells. This form of desensitization, which may underlie synaptic long-term depression (LTD), was evoked by co-administration of a-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) and 8-bromo cGMP (8-Br-cGMP). Among the IEGS examined with in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, combined application of 8-Br-cGMP and AMPA synergistically enhanced the expression of c-Fos and Jun-B in Purkinje cells. This may suggest a role for active transcriptional complexes such as AP-1 (c-Fos/Jun-B), which could be formed following conjoint inputs to Purkinje cells and which may help to establish cerebellar long-term plasticity. © Lippincott-Raven Publishers.
