Purine salvage is a complex pathway allowing a correct balance between adenylic and guanylic derivatives. In this paper, we show that GUD1 (YDL238c) encodes guanine deaminase, a catabolic enzyme producing xanthine and ammonia from guanine. Importantly, Gud1p activity was higher during post-diauxic growth, suggesting that a decrease of the guanylic nucleotide pool could be required when cells shift from proliferation to quiescence.