TFIIE, along with other general transcription factors such as TFIID, TFIIB, and TFIIF, helps recruit RNA polymerase II to the promoter region of a gene. TFIIE specifically plays a role in stabilizing the open complex formation, which is essential for the unwinding of DNA and the subsequent synthesis of RNA. By doing so, TFIIE effectively lowers the activation energy required for the formation of the transcription bubble, acting as a biological catalyst.