Yeast cells exit the cell cycle and enter a metabolically inert statio
nary phase when starved for nutrients essential for normal proliferati
on. We have cloned a novel gene named rsv1(+) (required for stationary
phase viability) that is essential for fission yeast cell viability i
n a stationary phase induced by glucose starvation. rsv1(+) encodes a
47 kDa protein with two zinc finger motifs that are partially homologo
us with Aspergillus nidulans CreA, Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mig1 and m
ammalian EGR-1/NGFI-A. Cells deleted for rsv1(+) are unable to survive
glucose starvation. Transcription of rsv1(+) is negatively regulated
by the cAMP pathway and induced by glucose starvation. Cells with the
constitutively activated cAMP pathway are known to lose viability when
grown to confluence or when starved for glucose. These cells are poor
in rsv1(+) induction and their viability loss is largely suppressed b
y ectopic expression of rsv1(+). Thus, poor induction of rsv(1+) is at
least partially responsible for the viability loss. Analysis also sho
wed that cells need to receive starvation signals before entry into th
e stationary phase in order to maintain viability in a glucose-poor en
vironment.