This gene encodes a key enzyme in catabolism of quinolinate, an intermediate in the tryptophan-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide pathway. Quinolinate acts as a most potent endogenous exitotoxin to neurons. Elevation of quinolinate levels in the brain has been linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2015].