TAF9b: Proteins and Enzymes

Initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase II requires the activities of more than 70 polypeptides. The protein thatcoordinates these activities is transcription factor IID (TFIID), which binds to the core promoter to position thepolymerase properly, serves as the scaffold for assembly of the remainder of the transcription complex, and acts as achannel for regulatory signals. TFIID is composed of the TATA-binding protein (TBP) and a group of evolutionarilyconserved proteins known as TBP-associated factors or TAFs. TAFs may participate in basal transcription, serve ascoactivators, function in promoter recognition or modify general transcription factors (GTFs) to facilitate complexassembly and transcription initiation. This gene encodes a protein that is similar to one of the small subunits ofTFIID, TBP-associated factor 9, and is also a subunit of TFIID. TAF9 and TAF9b share some functions but also havedistinct roles in the transcriptional regulatory process. (provided by RefSeq)