The enzyme, characterized from the bacterium Aromatoleum aromaticum, is involved in degradation of (indol-3-yl)acetate, where it is believed to function on (2-aminophenyl)succinate. It has a broad substrate specificity towards other C4-dicarboxylic acids, phenylacetate, and the non-physiological compound 2-naphthylacetate. The enzyme produces 2- and 3-phenylsuccinyl-CoA in equimolar amounts. It can also perform an intramolecular transfer of the CoA moiety to convert 2-phenylsuccinyl-CoA to 3-phenylsuccinyl-CoA.