Protocols are presented for the preparation of a fully defined yeast RNA polymerase II transcription system, consisting of essentially pure TFIIB, -E, -F, and -H, TATA-binding protein, RNA polymerase II, and mediator of transcriptional regulation. This system, comprising 44 polypeptides, is able to initiate transcription at any of a dozen yeast and mammalian promoters thus far tested and responds to a variety of transcriptional activator proteins.