TAF8
Description
The TAF8 (TATA-box binding protein associated factor 8) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 6.
TAF8, encoded by the TAF8 gene, is a protein component of the TFIID complex, a crucial factor in the initiation of transcription. TFIID recognizes promoter regions in DNA and assembles the pre-initiation complex necessary for RNA polymerase II activity. TAF8 contains a histone fold domain and interacts with other TFIID subunits including TBP and TAF10. Mutations in the TAF8 gene are associated with a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe developmental delays, feeding difficulties, microcephaly, growth retardation, spasticity, and epilepsy.
TAF8 is a subunit of the TFIID complex, which is essential for the initiation of RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription. TFIID recognizes and binds promoters, with or without a TATA box, through its TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) subunit, and facilitates the assembly of the pre-initiation complex (PIC). TAF8 contributes to the formation of the TFIID-B module, along with TAF5. It plays a role in both basal and activator-dependent transcription, and is involved in the differentiation of preadipocyte fibroblasts into adipocytes, but not in myoblast differentiation. TAF8 is crucial for integrating TAF10 into the TAF complex and might be important for the survival of cells in the inner cell mass, the pluripotent cell population of the early embryo.
TAF8 is also known as II, NEDMLHB, TAF, TAF(II)43, TAFII-43, TAFII43, TBN.
