Activation of the zinc finger encoding gene krox-20 in adult rat brain: comparison with zif268

Zif268 and krox-20 are transcription regulatory factors that contain highly homologous zinc finger DNA-binding domains. Recent studies have demonstrated that zif268 expression is rapidly regulated in brain by neuronal stimulation. We now report that, like zif268, krox-20 is rapidly and transiently activated by electroconvulsive shock treatment (ECT), D₁ dopamine receptor activation, and opiate withdrawal. These studies indicate that, as found for the leucine zipper family of transcription factors, multiple members of the zinc finger family of transcription factors are induced by neuronal stimulation.