General Transcription Factor IIE, Polypeptide 1 (GTF2E1)

High levels of gene transcription by RNA polymerase II depend on high rates of transcription initiation and reinitiation. Initiation requires recruitment of the complete transcription machinery to a promoter. Transcription factor II E (TFIIE) is one of several general transcription factors that make up the RNA polymerase II preinitiation complex.Transcription Factor II E is encoded by the GTF2E1 and GTF2E2 genes.TFIIE is thought to be involved in DNA melting at the promoter: it contains a zinc ribbon motif that can bind single stranded DNA.Human TFIIE consists of 2 subunits of relative molecular masses 56,000 and 34,000. The structure of TFIIE appears to be a heterotetramer of 2 alpha and 2 beta subunits, both subunits being required for optimal reconstituted basal-level transcription.