The expression of a gene for photolyase in RBCF-1 cells, a line of cultured goldfish cells, is known to be enhanced by fluorescent light. We have now found that H2O2 is another strong inducer of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photolyase. Northern blot analysis suggested that regulation by H2O2 occurs at the transcriptional level and the time course of induction of photolyase by H2O2 was similar to that by fluorescent light. Treatment with fluorescent light in the presence of riboflavin, which is known as an endogenous photosensitizer, also enhanced the induction of photolyase. These results suggest the involvement of oxygen stress in the induction of photolyase by fluorescent light. A cell clone with high-level expression of the goldfish gene for photolyase was obtained by transfection with plasmids that expressed the goldfish photolyase in OL32 cells derived from another fish, the medaka (Oryzias latipes). The induction of the medaka gene for photolyase was not affected by the high-level expression of the goldfish gene for this enzyme.