As part of the MCIA complex, primarily participates in the assembly of the mitochondrial complex I and therefore plays a role in oxidative phosphorylation. This moonlighting protein has also a dehydrogenase activity toward a broad range of substrates with greater specificity for long-chain unsaturated acyl-CoAs. However, in vivo, it does not seem to play a primary role in fatty acid oxidation. In addition, the function in complex I assembly is independent of the dehydrogenase activity of the protein.