Human BTNL2/Butyrophilin-like 2 (NP_001291490) cDNA

Butyrophilin-like 2 (BTNL2) is a transmembrane protein that functions as a negative regulator of immune cell activation. It is expressed in epithelial cells of the small intestine, colonic dendritic cells, and in cells of the lymph node, and it is upregulated in T cells following activation. BTNL2 negatively regulates T cells by inhibiting proliferation and inflammatory cytokine secretion. It also increases the expression of FoxP3 in T cells to promote regulatory T cell development. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in BTNL2 are associated with increased risk for sporadic prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, ulcerative colitis, and other inflammatory diseases.