This gene encodes an enzyme that catalyzes the NAD/NADH-dependent, reversible oxidation of malate to oxaloacetate in many metabolic pathways, including the citric acid cycle. Two main isozymes are known to exist in eukaryotic cells: one is found in the mitochondrial matrix and the other in the cytoplasm. This gene encodes the cytosolic isozyme, which plays a key role in the malate-aspartate shuttle that allows malate to pass through the mitochondrial membrane to be transformed into oxaloacetate for further cellular processes. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been found for this gene. A recent study showed that a C-terminally extended isoform is produced by use of an alternative in-frame translation termination codon via a stop codon readthrough mechanism, and that this isoform is localized in the peroxisomes. Pseudogenes have been identified on chromosomes X and 6. [provided by RefSeq, Feb 2016]