Discovery of a Cell-Permeable Gi-Signaling Inhibitor

Abstract

Heterotrimeric G proteins regulate diverse physiological processes, yet selective small molecule modulators for the Gi subfamily remain scarce. Here, we employed native metabolomics to screen a fungal culture collection for G protein binders, which led to the discovery of N-hydroxyapiosporamide (NHAP), a fungal specialized metabolite that functionally inhibits Gi-signaling. NHAP selectively binds Gi1 and diminishes Gi1-mediated GTP turnover in biochemical assays. In primary ventricular cardiomyocytes, NHAP largely reversed acetylcholine-induced negative inotropy, demonstrating functional Gi-signaling blockade in a physiological context without acute cytotoxicity. This work establishes NHAP as a first-in-class Gi-selective inhibitor, providing a cell-permeable chemical scaffold for the optimization of next-generation agents to control Gi-signaling in cell-based systems and, ultimately, to target Gi1-driven pathologies.