c-Fos (also cFos, cfos)

c-Fos (also cFos, cfos)

what it is?
- is a member of immediate early gene family, which contains transcription factors

how it works?
- because cFos is an 'immediate early gene' transcription factor, it is itself made (=transcribed & translated into a protein) 'immediately early' when cell is stimulated/activated by almost any stimulus; transcription factor then means that cFos helps to transcribe (alone or with other proteins) other genes into proteins, which are required by the cell when the cell is activated in response to the particular stimulus

comparison to?
- to a Bible? it is created/written very early on and helps others to get created/converted later on

also of interest?
- it is a proto-oncogene/protein, i.e. a gene/protein which may become an oncogene/protein; proto-oncogenes code for protein which are involved in a cell cycle, cell growth and differentiation

use?
- in neuroscience: used as an indirect marker of neuronal activation because cFos mRNA or cFos protein are upregulated when cell/neuron fires action potentials and marks recent neuronal activity

Would you have a better comparison for the role of c-Fos as a marker of neuronal activity? If yes, please let me know in the comments.