Term Name: transcription coactivator activity
Synonyms: RNA polymerase II transcription co-activator activity, RNA polymerase II transcription coactivator activity, RNA polymerase II transcription mediator activity, transcription co-activator activity
Definition: A transcription coregulator activity that activates or increases the transcription of specific gene sets via binding to a DNA-binding transcription factor at a specific genomic locus, either on its own or as part of a complex. Coactivators often act by altering chromatin structure and modifications. For example, one class of transcription coactivators modifies chromatin structure through covalent modification of histones. A second class remodels the conformation of chromatin in an ATP-dependent fashion. A third class modulates interactions of DNA-bound DNA-binding transcription factors with other transcription coregulators. A fourth class of coactivator activity is the bridging of a DNA-binding transcription factor to the general (basal) transcription machinery. The Mediator complex, which bridges sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factors and RNA polymerase, is also a transcription coactivator.
Ontology: GO: Molecular Function [GO:0003713]    QuickGO    AmiGO

Relationships
is part of: positive regulation of DNA-templated transcription
is a type of: transcription coregulator activity