TATA-BINDING PROTEIN-INDEPENDENT INITIATION - YY1, TFIIB, AND RNA POLYMERASE-II DIRECT BASAL TRANSCRIPTION ON SUPERCOILED TEMPLATE DNA

YY1 is a zinc finger transcription factor whose DNA-binding motif exhi bits the properties of an initiator element. Only three factors were r equired to direct specific basal transcription on a supercoiled templa te DNA carrying the YY1 initiator: YY1, general transcription factor I IB, and RNA polymerase II. This minimal in vitro reaction did not requ ire the TATA-binding protein (TBP). We propose that, under appropriate conditions, YY1 can function like TBP, as a factor that binds to the core promoter and recruits the polymerase to the initiation complex.