Six new monoclonal antibodies (TDM-2, TDM-3, 64M-2, 64M-3, 64M-4 and 64M-5) specific for ultraviolet (UV) induced DNA damage have been established. In the antibody characterization experiments, two TDM antibodies were found to show a dose-dependent binding to UV-irradiated DNA (UV-DNA), decrease of binding to UV-DNA after cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photoreactivation, binding to DNA containing cyclobutane thymine dimers, and unchanged binding to UV-DNA after photoisomerization of (6-4)photoproducts to Dewar photoproducts. These results indicated that the epitope of TDM monoclonal antibodies was the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer in DNA. On the other hand, four 64M antibodies were found to show a dose-dependent binding to UV-DNA, unchanged binding to UV-DNA after cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer photoreactivation, undetectable binding to DNA containing thymine dimers, and decrease of binding to UV-DNA after photoisomerization of (6-4)photoproducts. These results indicated that the epitope of 64M antibodies was the (6-4)photoproduct in DNA. This is the first report of the simultaneous establishment of monoclonal antibodies against the two different types of photolesions from the same mouse. By using these monoclonal antibodies, we have succeeded in measuring both cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and (6-4)photoproducts in the DNA from human primary cells irradiated with physiological UV doses.