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. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:10198638, ECO:0000269|PubMed:10235266}. This is the function of Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000175221 (MED16, mediator complex subunit 16).