Final answer:
The TFIID complex, which includes the TATA-binding protein, binds to the TATA box in the core promoter region to facilitate the initiation of transcription by recruiting RNA polymerase II and other transcription factors in eukaryotic cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The transcription factor complex TFIID, which contains the TATA-binding protein (TBP), binds to the TATA box within the core promoter region, located 25 to 35 bases upstream of the transcriptional start site. This TATA box, which has the consensus sequence 5'-TATAAA-3', is crucial for the initiation of transcription. When TFIID binds to the TATA box, it recruits other transcription factors such as TFIIB, TFIIE, TFIIF, and TFIIH. This assemblage of factors, along with the RNA polymerase II, forms the transcription initiation complex, which is essential for the start of gene expression in eukaryotic cells.
The activity of TFII factors, including TFIID, occurs at the stage of transcription initiation, where they collectively work to recruit RNA polymerase II and establish the pre-initiation complex. Subsequent phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II leads to the activation of the transcription initiation complex and sets the stage for mRNA synthesis.