Description
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