In our previous study, we have shown that Fgf-8 is expressed in the basal layer of the apical epithelial cap (AEC) and in the underlying thin layer of mesenchymal tissue of the regenerating limbs of Mexican axolotl, Amby-stoma mexicanum. Our present RT-PCR data also demonstrate that Fgf-8 transcript is localized both in the mesenchymal and epidermal tissues. To understand the effect of retinoic acid (RA) on the expression of Fgf-8 in the regenerating axolotl limbs, RA was injected intraperitoneally at the dediffer-entiation stage of limb regeneration. The RA treatment caused 8 change in the Fgf-8 expression profile of the regenerating limbs. In RA-treated limbs, duration of Fgf-8 expression was prolonged and a high level of expression was maintained during dedifferentiation and blastema formation stages. These results suggest that Fgf-8 is an important molecule in the process of pattern duplication of regenerating salamander limbs evoked by RA treatment.