Activator protein-1 (AP-1) is a transcription factor involved in many aspects of the brain physiology and pathophysiology. In spite of strong engagement in a transcriptional regulation of the brain gene expression, only a few, if any, downstream AP-1 targets have unequivocally been identified so far. In the review we discuss only the best characterized AP-1 target genes in the brain, and we highlight the shortages of our understanding of AP-1 action in the central nervous system as well as indicate what could be done to ameliorate the situation.