Predicted to enable D-ribulose-phosphate 3-epimerase activity and metal ion binding activity. Predicted to be involved in carbohydrate metabolic process and pentose-phosphate shunt, non-oxidative branch. Predicted to act upstream of or within pentose-phosphate shunt. Predicted to be active in cytosol. Orthologous to several human genes including RPEL1 (ribulose-5-phosphate-3-epimerase like 1).