Maternal mRNAs in oocytes play important roles in early developmental processes. The stored mRNAs show a great complexity, and relatively few of the messages have been characterized. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is polypeptide growth factor involved in many developmental processes including mesoderm induction, neuronal differentiation, and its mRNA is stored in oocytes. We set up a series of experiments to amplify FGF homologous cDNAs in Xenopus oocytes by the method of PCR with primer sells designed by the FGF sequence information. Ten previously unknown maternal cDNAs were cloned partially and sequenced. Although there were hardly any distinct homologies to FGFs, these genes showed characteristic temporal- and spatial- expression patterns. Especially, five cloned genes revealed novel expression patterns in whole mount dry situ hybridization experiments. These genes were expressed in neuroectoderm in neurular, and central nerve system, lens placoids and optic cups in tail bud. The putative functions of these genes in the developmental processes were discussed based on their expression patterns in Xenopus embryo.