Using in situ hybridization, we show that the expression of the immediately-early gene, nur-77, increases rapidly and transiently in hippocampal neurons following activation of muscarinic and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors and after hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). On the basis of these results we hypothesize that nur-77 may coordinate with other transcription factors to initiate subsequent changes in hippocampal gene expression associated with plasticity-related activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate and muscarinic receptors.