General transcription factors  (GTFs) or basal transcription factors are protein transcription factors that have been shown to be important in the transcription of class II genes to mRNA templates. Many of them are involved in the formation of a preinitiation complex, which, together with RNA polymerase II, bind to and read the single-stranded DNA gene template. The cluster of RNA polymerase II and various transcription factors is known as a basal transcriptional complex (BTC).