A new, heat shock-inducible expression system based on an endogenous hsp16+ promoter was developed for use in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Analysis of GFP expression profiles indicated that a 1.2-kb segment of the hsp16+ promoter region was sufficient to drive expression of heterologous protein. The hsp16+ promoter was found to be activated not only by heat shock but also by other stresses including cadmium, ethanol, and oxidative stress. Two expression vectors, pHIL and pHIU, were constructed using the 1.2-kb hsp16+ promoter for inducible gene expression in Sch. pombe. This new expression system utilizes a simple induction protocol and promises to be a useful tool for analyzing gene expression in Sch. pombe.