This gene encodes maltase-glucoamylase, which is a brush border membrane enzyme that plays a role in the final steps of digestion of starch. The protein has two catalytic sites identical to those of sucrase-isomaltase, but the proteins are only 59% homologous. Both are members of glycosyl hydrolase family 31, which has a variety of substrate specificities. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]