In a yeast two-hybrid screen designed to identify novel effectors of the G␥ subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins, we found that G␥ binds to histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5), an enzyme involved in a pathway not previously recognized to be directly impacted by G proteins. Formation of the G 1 ␥ 2 -HDAC5 complex in mammalian cells can be blocked by overexpression of G␣ o , and this inhibition is relieved by activation of ␣ 2A -adrenergic receptor, suggesting that the interaction occurs in a signal-dependent manner. The C-terminal domain of HDAC5 binds directly to G␥ through multiple motifs, and overexpression of this domain mimics the C terminus of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2, a known G␥ scavenger, in its ability to inhibit the G␥/HDAC5 interaction. The C terminus of HDAC4 shares significant similarity with that of HDAC5, and accordingly, HDAC4 is also able to form complexes with G 1 ␥ 2 in cultured cells, suggesting that the C-terminal domain of class II HDACs is a general G␥ binding motif. Activation of a G i/o -coupled receptor results in a time-dependent activation of MEF2C, an HDAC5-regulated transcription factor, whereas inhibition of the interaction with a G␥ scavenger inhibits MEF2C activity, suggesting a reduced potency of HDAC5-mediated inhibition. Taken together, these data imply that HDAC5 and possibly other class II HDACs can be added to the growing list of G␥ effectors.