Heterotrimeric G protein complexes are conserved from plants to mammals, but the complexity of each system varies. Arabidopsis thaliana contains one G␣, one G (AGB1), and at least three G␥ subunits, allowing it to form three versions of the heterotrimer. This plant model is ideal for genetic studies because mammalian systems contain hundreds of unique heterotrimers. The activation of these complexes promotes interactions between both the G␣ subunit and the G␥ dimer with enzymes and scaffolds to propagate signaling to the cytoplasm. However, although effectors of G␣ and G are known in mammals, no G effectors were previously known in plants. Toward identifying AGB1 effectors, we genetically screened for dominant mutations that suppress G-null mutant (agb1-2) phenotypes. We found that overexpression of acireductone dioxygenase 1 (ARD1) suppresses the 2-day-old etiolated phenotype of agb1-2. ARD1 is homologous to prokaryotic and eukaryotic ARD proteins; one function of ARDs is to operate in the methionine salvage pathway. We show here that ARD1 is an active metalloenzyme, and AGB1 and ARD1 both control embryonic hypocotyl length by modulating cell division; they also may contribute to the production of ethylene, a product of the methionine salvage pathway. ARD1 physically interacts with AGB1, and ARD enzymatic activity is stimulated by AGB1 in vitro. The binding interface on AGB1 was deduced using a comparative evolutionary approach and tested using recombinant AGB1 mutants. A possible mechanism for AGB1 activation of ARD1 activity was tested using directed mutations in a loop near the substrate-binding site.One way that cells communicate with one another and perceive and respond to both intercellular and extracellular signals is through heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein) signaling. As known for animal cells, G protein signaling begins when an extracellular ligand binds to a seventransmembrane receptor that is physically coupled to an inactive heterotrimeric complex consisting of G␣-GDP, G, and G␥ subunits located on the cytoplasmic side of the cell membrane. Upon activation by the receptor, the G␣ exchanges GDP for GTP and dissociates from the receptor and the obligate G␥ dimer, allowing free G␣ and free G␥ to participate in downstream signaling processes through concomitant interactions with proteins called effectors. This signaling ceases when G␣ hydrolyzes GTP to GDP and the heterotrimer reforms (1, 2). Mammalian species possess a complex array of possible G protein heterotrimer combinations as there are 16 G␣, 5 G, and 12 G␥ genes, making genetic studies difficult. However, the Arabidopsis thaliana genome encodes one G␣ (GPA1), one G (AGB1), and three G␥ (AGG1, AGG2, and AGG3) genes (3) and thus three heterotrimeric combinations (2). As a result, all G protein signaling in Arabidopsis can be abolished by mutating only a few genes, making this an ideal genetic model for G protein signaling in a multicellular context. Additionally, because there is high similarity between the ...