This gene encodes 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase type II, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily. The gene product is a mitochondrial protein that catalyzes the oxidation of a wide variety of fatty acids, alcohols, and steroids. The protein has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease, and mutations in the gene are the cause of 2-methyl-3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MHBD). Several alternatively spliced transcript variants have been identified, but the full-length nature of only two transcript variants has been determined. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].