Description
Initiation of transcription from protein-coding genes in eukaryotes is a complex process that requires RNA polymerase II, as well as families of basal transcription factors. Binding of the factor TFIID (TBP) to the TATA box is believed to be the first step in the formation of a multiprotein complex containing several additional factors, including TFIIA, TFIIB, TFIIE, TFIIF and TFII. TFIIH (or BTF2) is a multisubunit transcription/DNA repair factor that possesses several enzymatic activities. The core of TFIIH is composed of five subunits, designated p89 (XPB or ERCC3), p62, p52, p44 and p34. Additional subunits of the TFIIH complex are p80 (XPD or ERCC2) and the ternary kinase complex composed of Cdk7, cyclin H and Mat1. Both p89 and p80 have ATP-dependent helicase activity. The p62, p52 and p44 subunits have been shown to be involved in nucleotide excision repair