cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) participates in both constitutive and cAMP-induced transcription of cAMP-responsive genes. CREB-mediated constitutive transcription requires only CREB-binding sites and a minimal promoter region (containing the TATA through start sequences), indicating that CREB interacts directly with components of the general transcription machinery. In this study, a coimmunoprecipitation assay was used to test for interaction of CREB with the general transcription factors (TF) TFIIB and TFIID and the core component of TFIID, TATA-binding protein (TBP). Human TFIIB and TBP, tagged with distinct epitopes (eTFIIB and eTBP), were expressed in and purified from Escherichia coli, and holo-eTFIID, containing eTBP, was obtained from the HeLa cell line LTR alpha 3. 35S-Labeled CREB, synthesized in vitro and incubated with eTFIIB, was coimmunoprecipitated with antibody recognizing eTFIIB, indicating that CREB specifically binds to TFIIB. 35S-CREB was coimmunoprecipitated with antibody against eTBP, but only when incubated with the holo-eTFIID complex, not with eTBP alone. TFIIB interacted with TBP, but CREB was not coprecipitated with the eTBP antibody when incubated with eTBP plus TFIIB, so CREB did not form a stable ternary complex with TFIIB and TBP. Conversely, depletion of TFIIB from the holo-TFIID preparation did not diminish the level of interaction between CREB and TFIID. Thus, CREB interacts independently with TFIIB and TFIID, but not directly with TBP. A protein kinase A phosphorylation site mutant of CREB and wild-type CREB exhibited equivalent interaction with TFIIB, indicating that this phosphorylation is not required. Consistent with the role of CREB in promoting constitutive or basal transcription, the constitutive activation domain of CREB was sufficient for interaction with both TFIIB and TFIID.