The ARF protein encoded by the alternative transcript of the INK4a gene inhibits cell growth by stabilization of p53. ARF is induced by activated oncogenes sucll as c-myc, E1A and E2F-1. We show here that ARF protein expression is also induced by serum deprivation in the human tumor cell line MDA-MB-157 and in the SV40 large T-immortalized keratinocyte line Rhek. This increase of expression was reversed by the addition of serum. ARF mRNA levels also increased after serum starvation, suggesting that ARF upregulation is mediated, at least in part, by increased transcription and/or mRNA stability. These results indicate that ARF responds not only to oncogenic hyper-proliferative signals but also to suboptimal growth conditions.