Component of the transcription regulatory histone acetylation (HAT) complex SAGA. SAGA is involved in RNA polymerase II-dependent transcriptional regulation of approximately 10% of yeast genes. At the promoters, SAGA is required for recruitment of the basal transcription machinery. It influences RNA polymerase II transcriptional activity through different activities such as TBP interaction (SPT3, SPT8 and SPT20) and promoter selectivity, interaction with transcription activators (GCN5, ADA2, ADA3 and TRA1), and chromatin modification through histone acetylation (GCN5) and deubiquitination (UBP8). SAGA acetylates nucleosomal histone H3 to some extent (to form H3K9ac, H3K14ac, H3K18ac and H3K23ac). SAGA interacts with DNA via upstream activating sequences (UASs). SGF11 is involved in transcriptional regulation of a subset of SAGA-regulated genes. Within the SAGA complex, participates in a subcomplex with SUS1, SGF73 and UBP8 required for deubiquitination of H2B and for the maintenance of steady-state H3 methylation levels. It is required to recruit UBP8 and SUS1 into the SAGA complex. Component of the 1.8 MDa SAGA complex, which consists of at least of TRA1, CHD1, SPT7, TAF5, ADA3, SGF73, SPT20/ADA5, SPT8, TAF12, TAF6, HFI1/ADA1, UBP8, GCN5, ADA2, SPT3, SGF29, TAF10, TAF9, SGF11 and SUS1. TAF5, TAF6, TAF9, TAF19, TAF12 and ADA1 seem to be present in 2 copies. SAGA is built of 5 distinct domains with specialized functions. Domain I (containing TRA1) probably represents the activator interaction surface. Domain II (containing TAF5 and TAF6, and probably TAF9 and TAF10), domain III (containing GCN5, TAF10, SPT7, TAF5 and ADA1, and probably ADA2, ADA3 and TAF12), and domain IV (containing HFI1/ADA1 and TAF6, and probably TAF9) are believed to play primarily an architectural role. Domain III also harbors the HAT activity. Domain V (containing SPT3 and SPT20, and probably SPT8) represents the TBP-interacting module, which may be associated transiently with SAGA. Within the SAGA complex, SUS1, SGF11, SGF73 and UBP8 form an additional subcomplex of SAGA called the DUB module (deubiquitination module). Interacts directly with SGF73, SUS1 and UBP8. The long N-terminal helix forms part of the 'assembly lobe' of the SAGA deubiquitination module. The C-terminal SGF11-type zinc-finger domain together with the C-terminal catalytic domain of UBP8 forms the 'catalytic lobe' of the SAGA deubiquitination module. Present with 672 molecules/cell in log phase SD medium. Belongs to the SGF11 family.