GTF2E1 (general transcription factor IIE subunit 1) is a core component of the basal transcription machinery that recruits TFIIH to the RNA polymerase II preinitiation complex and stimulates TFIIH's kinase and ATPase activities, which are essential for promoter clearance and transcription initiation 1. GTF2E1 functions as a rate-limiting subunit of the TFIIE complex, with its abundance directly regulating the assembly and function of other transcription factor complexes 2. GTF2E1 has significant disease associations. GTF2E1 expression is downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues, and microRNA-452 directly suppresses GTF2E1 transcripts in colorectal cancer cells, suggesting GTF2E1 acts as a tumor suppressor 3. GTF2E1 knockdown alters expression of 166 genes and reduces cell viability in colorectal carcinoma cells, with dysregulation linked to atherosclerosis development, colon carcinoma, and B-cell chr3 lymphocytic leukemia 4. Additionally, GTF2E1 dysregulation is implicated in preeclampsia through impaired TFIIH-mediated transcription in placenta, with GTF2E1 identified as a major regulator of differentially-expressed genes in preeclamptic placentas 1. Beyond transcription, GTF2E1 is required for HIV-1 replication, indicating roles in viral pathogenesis 5.