Final answer:
The TFIID component that binds to the TATA box within the core promoter region of DNA is the TATA-binding protein (TBP). This binding event is crucial for the assembly of the transcription initiation complex, which involves other transcription factors and RNA polymerase II, initiating the transcription of genes in eukaryotic cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The component of the TFIID that binds to the TATA DNA sequence is called the TATA-binding protein (TBP).
In eukaryotic gene transcription, the TATA box is a crucial DNA sequence found within the core promoter region, approximately 25 to 35 bases upstream of the transcriptional start site. This box is a repeat of thymine and adenine nucleotides and has the consensus sequence 5'-TATAAA-3'. The TATA box serves as the binding site for TFIID, which is one of the general transcription factors responsible for the initiation of transcription. The TFIID contains a specialized subunit known as the TBP, whose primary function is to recognize and bind to this sequence. Following the binding of TFIID via TBP, additional transcription factors, such as TFIIB, TFIIE, TFIIF, and TFIIH, are recruited to the site, which in turn facilitates the binding of RNA polymerase II to the DNA template. This assembly forms the transcription initiation complex, enabling the transcription machinery to commence the process of copying the DNA sequence into messenger RNA (mRNA).