Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) has been reported to be responsible for the sustained activation of protein kinase C (PKC). As chondroqenesis is known to be regulated by PKC, this study was performed to investigate the effects of LPC on chondrogenesis of chick limb bud mesenchymes in vitro. LPC treatment of mesenchymes during micromass culture significantly enhanced chondrogenic differentiation. The most effective time of LPC on the stimulation of chondrogenesis was the first day of micromass culture. Analysis of LPC effects on the expression of PKC isoforms revealed that LPC treatment increased expression of PKCa, among the multiple PKC isoforms, in the membrane fraction on day one of culture. The stimulatory effect of LPC on chondrogenesis was abolished if PKCa was down regulated by the prolonged treatment of cells with phorbol ester. The results suqqest that LPC promotes chondrogenesis through the activation of PKCa at the early stage of chondrogenic differentiation.