Expression of G protein ␣ subunits of the G q family with various G protein-coupled receptors induces activation of an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 )/Ca 2؉ -mediated Cl ؊ conductance in Xenopus oocytes. Our present data show that two members of this family, the human G␣ 16 subunit and the murine homologue G␣ 15 , can induce both activation and inhibition of these agonistinduced currents. Although extremely low amounts (10 -50 pg) of injected G␣ 16 subunit cRNA cause modest (ϳ2-fold) enhancement of ligand-induced Cl ؊ currents in oocytes co-injected with thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptor cRNA 48 h postinjection, larger G␣ 16 and G␣ 15 cRNA injections cause >10-fold inhibition of TRH or 5HT2c receptor responses. The inhibition is analyzed in this study. The inhibited currents are recovered if various G␥ subunit combinations are also expressed with the G␣ subunits. The constitutively active mutant, G␣ 16 Q212L, also causes a strong attenuation of the ligand-induced Cl ؊ currents, but this inhibition is not recovered by co-expression of G␥ subunits. These results indicate that the free G␣ subunit is responsible for the inhibitory signal. Although expression of TRH receptor alone produces maximum responses approximately 48 h after injection, co-expression of TRH receptor with G␣ 16 results in enhanced responses 6 -12 h postinjection, followed by complete attenuation at 36 h. Furthermore, injection of G␣ 16 cRNA alone at comparable levels gives rise to spontaneous Cl ؊ currents within 6 -12 h postinjection, suggesting that the early spontaneous activation underlies the later suppression. Expression of other G protein ␣ subunits of the G q family, at cRNA levels considerably higher than effective for G␣ 16 , produces both analogous spontaneous Cl ؊ currents and, later, inhibition of ligand-induced Cl ؊ currents. Experiments with direct injection of IP 3 and of Ca 2؉ suggest that this inhibition is consistent with the down-regulation of IP 3 receptors. These data indicate that both enhancement and inhibition of signaling through G protein-coupled receptors can be mediated by the expression level and/or activity of an individual G protein.Many hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors act via G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) 1 in a wide range of transduction processes. The phosphoinositide cascade, which controls calcium-stimulated processes such as secretion, chemotaxis, and fertilization, is regulated by G proteins. Phosphoinositide phospholipase C (PLC) catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphatidyl 4,5-bisphosphate to generate two second messengers, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ) and diacylglycerol. Diacylglycerol in turn activates protein kinase C; IP 3 binds to an intracellular IP 3 receptor/channel to release Ca 2ϩ stores (Ref.