This gene encodes a member of a family of small proline-rich proteins clustered in the epidermal differentiation complex on chromosome 1q21. The encoded protein, along with other family members, is a component of the cornified cell envelope that forms beneath the plasma membrane in terminally differentiated stratified squamous epithelia. This envelope serves as a barrier against extracellular and environmental factors. The seven SPRR2 genes (A-G) appear to have been homogenized by gene conversion compared to others in the cluster that exhibit greater differences in protein structure. [provided by RefSeq, Feb 2014].