The effects of acute, multiple, and chronic exposure of hairless mice to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on induction of epidermal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) (EC 4.1.1.17) activity were investigated. Acute UVR exposure results in a biphasic time course of induction of epidermal ODC activity. Enzyme activity maxima occur at 3 and 24 h postirradiation. The biphasic time course is observed in two different strains of hairless mice (Skh:HR-1 and Jackson HRS/J) when the UVR source is either UBV fluorescent tubes or a solar simulator. The ratio of 24-h/3-h postirradiation ODC activity increases with increasing UVR dose. UVR induction of ODC activity was not significant below the mouse minimum erythemal dose (MED). The 3- and 24-h ODC activities have similar apparent Kms for ornithine (34 and 50 microM, respectively), and thermal stabilities at 52 degrees C (t1/2 = 23 and 18 min, respectively), and exhibit similar half-lives in vivo (t1/2 = 15 and 18 min, respectively). Multiple UVR exposure experiments showed 24-h ODC activity is sensitive to the preexposure history of the mouse, while 3-h ODC is not. Preexposure of hairless mice to several sub-MED levels of simulated solar radiation (SSR) specifically suppresses induction of 24-h ODC by a follow-up 2 x MED of SSR. Preexposure to a single 2 x MED of SSR specifically enhances induction of 24-h ODC induced by a second 2 x MED of SSR administered 48 h after the first. The 3-h ODC was not significantly affected by either preexposure regimen. Preexposure to a single high or low dose of UVA radiation did not affect epidermal ODC activity nor had an effect on ODC induction by UVB radiation. Several weeks of chronic exposure to UVB radiation elevated basal levels of epidermal ODC substantially (up to 350-fold). In these chronically irradiated mice, exposure to 2 x MED SSR resulted in a further 3.5-fold increase in ODC activity over the elevated basal level. These data reveal novel properties of epidermal cell expression of ODC activity in response to acute and chronic UVR insult. The results provide additional insight into the use of ODC as a marker for skin photodamage.