Component of the Mediator complex, a coactivator involved in the regulated transcription of nearly all RNA polymerase II-dependent genes. Mediator functions as a bridge to convey information from gene- specific regulatory proteins to the basal RNA polymerase II transcription machinery. Mediator is recruited to promoters by direct interactions with regulatory proteins and serves as a scaffold for the assembly of a functional preinitiation complex with RNA polymerase II and the general transcription factors. May play a role as a target recruitment subunit in E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase complexes and thus in ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation of target proteins. This is the function of MED8 (mediator complex subunit 8, ENSG00000159479).