Transcriptional regulator Taf14 binds DNA and is required for the function of transcription factor TFIID in the absence of histone H2A.Z.

The transcriptional regulator Taf14 is a component of multiple protein complexes involved in transcription initiation and chromatin remodeling in yeast cells. Although Taf14 is not required for cell viability, it becomes essential in conditions where the formation of the transcription preinitiation complex is hampered. The specific role of Taf14 in mediating transcription initiation and preinitiation complex formation is unclear. Here, we explored its role in the general transcription factor IID by mapping Taf14 genetic and proteomic interactions and found that it was needed for the function of the complex if Htz1, the yeast homolog of histone H2A.Z, was absent from chromatin. Dissecting the functional domains of Taf14 revealed that the linker region between the YEATS and ET domains was required for cell viability in the absence of Htz1 protein. We further show that the linker region of Taf14 interacts with DNA. We propose that providing additional DNA binding capacity might be a general role of Taf14 in the recruitment of protein complexes to DNA and chromatin.