Enables chaperone binding activity; dihydrolipoyllysine-residue succinyltransferase activity; and heat shock protein binding activity. Involved in 2-oxoglutarate metabolic process and NADH metabolic process. Located in mitochondrion and plasma membrane. Part of oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. Human ortholog(s) of this gene implicated in Alzheimer's disease and paraganglioma. Orthologous to human DLST (dihydrolipoamide S-succinyltransferase). [provided by Alliance of Genome Resources, Apr 2022]