Butyrophilin is the major protein associated with fat droplets in the milk. This gene is a member of the BTN2 subfamily of genes, which encode proteins belonging to the butyrophilin protein family. The gene is located in a cluster on chromosome 6, consisting of seven genes belonging to the expanding B7/butyrophilin-like group, a subset of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily. The encoded protein is a type I receptor glycoprotein involved in lipid, fatty-acid and sterol metabolism. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.

 Inhibits the proliferation of CD4 and CD8 T-cells activated by anti-CD3 antibodies, T-cell metabolism and IL2 and IFN-γsecretion.