Ultraviolet A radiation (UVA; 320-400 nm) constitutes more than 90% of the terrestrial UV solar energy. This type of radiation generates reactive oxygen species and consequently induces DNA damage. UVA irradiation is now considered to be an important carcinogen agent especially in the development of melanoma. UVA radiation is known to activate several pathways in mammalian cells. We have used cDNA arrays to analyze differential gene expression in primary cultures of human melanocytes in response to 365-nm UVA. Among 588 genes studied, 11 were overexpressed. These genes included genes involved in cell cycle regulation (GADD45, CIP1/WAF1), in stress response (HSP70, HSP40, HSP86), in apoptosis (GADD153, tristetraproline) and genes encoding transcription factors (EGR-1, ETR-101, c-JUN, ATF4). This coordinate gene regulation was confirmed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR.