In the nervous system, calcium signals associated with electrical activation of neurons induce gene transcription that may be important for long-lasting adaptation. The type of transcriptional response is determined by the properties of the calcium signal that include subcellular localisation, amplitude, duration and the physical site of entry. Here we review calcium-regulated protein kinase cascades and discuss potential mechanisms through which they propagate calcium signals to and within the nucleus and control the activity of transcription factors and transcriptional co-activators.