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Immediate early genes (IEGs) are activated transiently and rapidly in response to a wide variety of cellular stimuli. They represent a standing response mechanism that is activated at the transcription level in the first round of response to stimuli, before any new proteins are synthesized. Thus IEGs are distinct from "late response" genes, which can only be activated later following the synthesis of early response gene products. Thus IEGs have been called the "gateway to the genomic response".

About 40 IEGs have been identified so far. The earliest known and best characterized include c-fos","c-myc" and c-jun, genes that were found to be homologous to retroviral oncogenes. Thus IEGs are well known as early regulators of cell growth and differentiation signals. However, other findings suggest roles for IEGs in many other cellular processes.

In their role as "gateways to genomic response", many IEG products are naturally transcription factors or other DNA binding proteins. However, other important classes of IEG products include secreted proteins, cytoskeletal proteins, and receptor subunits.

Some IEGs (for example zif268) have been implicated in learning and memory and long term potentiation.

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• Davis,S. Bozon,B. and Laroche,S.(2003) How necessary is the activation of the immediate early gene zif268 in synaptic plasticity and learning? Behav.Brain Res. 142 (1-2):17-30, Full text

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• Activation of Immediate Early Genes by Drugs of Abuse a monograph published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
• MeSH Immediate-Early+Genes