Memory on long but not on short days is stored in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus

In order to follow adjustment of the rat circadian pacemaking system to a change of the photoperiod, the rhythm in the light-induced c-fos expression was used as a marker of the intrinsic rhythmicity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). After a change from a long photoperiod with 16 h of light per day to a short one with 8 h of light, the interval enabling high c-fos photoinduction decompressed gradually and the full extension by 5–6 h was achieved only within 2 weeks. After a change from a short to a long photoperiod, the interval was compressed by 5–6 h within 3 days. The data indicate a rapid adjustment of the photoperiod dependent-state of the SCN pacemaker to long days but only a slow one to short days.