The highly diverse TATA box-binding proteins among protists: A review

•Transcription in protists is atypical when compared to higher eukaryotes.•TATA-binding proteins (TBPs) are so-called universal transcription factors.•Protist TBPs are divergent when compared with canonical TBPs from higher eukaryotes.•The amino acids involved in DNA binding are less conserved in protist TBPs.•Protist TBPs do not specifically bind canonical TATA boxes.