A characteristic of higher organisms is their ability to learn by experience in order to adapt their
behaviour. Such plasticity is largely the result of the brain’s ability to convert transient stimuli into long-lasting
alterations in neuronal structure and function. This process is complex and involves changes in receptor
trafficking, local mRNA translation, protein turnover and gene synthesis. Here, we will review how changes in
neuronal activity trigger CREB-dependent gene expression in order to provoke more persistent changes in
neuronal function. Interestingly, CREB activity is altered in some psychiatric disorder such as anxiety and
depression, which suggest that this programme is essential for the correct functioning of the brain.
Keywords: Transcription factors, CREB, CBP, CREB target genes, Acetylation, Transduction signaling, Learning,
Long-term memory, Consolidation, LTP, Neurodegeneration, Anxiety, Depression.
