Essential for cell viability. TAF9 and TAF9B are involved in transcriptional activation as well as repression of distinct but overlapping sets of genes. May have a role in gene regulation associated with apoptosis. TAFs are components of the transcription factor IID (TFIID) complex, the TBP-free TAFII complex (TFTC), the PCAF histone acetylase complex and the STAGA transcription coactivator-HAT complex. TFIID or TFTC are essential for the regulation of RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription.