Trefoil factor 2 encoded by the TFF2 gene in humans, belongs to the trefoil factor family that consists of three members named TFF1, TFF2 and TFF3. They are characterized by having at least one copy of the trefoil motif, a 40-amino acid domain that contains three conserved disulfides. The TFFs are stable secretory proteins expressed highly in the gastrointestinal tract (gastric mucosa). TFF2 can inhibit gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion. Additionally, it functions as a structural component of gastric mucus, possibly by stabilizing glycoproteins in the mucus gel through interactions with carbohydrate side chains.
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