Accepts ubiquitin from the E1 complex and catalyzes its covalent attachment to other proteins. In association with the E3 enzyme BRE1 (RNF20 and/or RNF40), it plays a role in transcription regulation by catalyzing the monoubiquitination of histone H2B at 'Lys-120' to form H2BK120ub1. H2BK120ub1 gives a specific tag for epigenetic transcriptional activation, elongation by RNA polymerase II, telomeric silencing, and is also a prerequisite for H3K4me and H3K79me formation. In vitro catalyzes 'Lys-11', as well as 'Lys-48'-linked polyubiquitination. Required for postreplication repair of UV-damaged DNA. S-ubiquitinyl-[E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme]-L-cysteine + [E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme]-L-cysteine = [E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme]-L-cysteine + S-ubiquitinyl-[E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme]-L-cysteine. Protein modification; protein ubiquitination. Interacts with RAD18 and WAC (PubMed:21329877). Interacts with RFPL4A and CCNB1 (By similarity). Phosphorylation at Ser-120 by CDK9 increases activity towards histone H2B. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Belongs to the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family.