The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the shugoshin family of proteins. This protein is thought to protect centromeric cohesin from cleavage during mitotic prophase by preventing phosphorylation of a cohesin subunit. Reduced expression of this gene leads to the premature loss of centromeric cohesion, mis-segregation of sister chromatids, and mitotic arrest. Evidence suggests that this protein also protects a small subset of cohesin found along the length of the chromosome arms during mitotic prophase. An isoform lacking exon 6 has been shown to play a role in the cohesion of centrioles (PMID: 16582621 and PMID:18331714). Mutations in this gene have been associated with Chronic Atrial and Intestinal Dysrhythmia (CAID) syndrome, characterized by the co-occurrence of Sick Sinus Syndrome (SSS) and Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) within the first four decades of life (PMID:25282101). Fibroblast cells from CAID patients exhibited both increased cell proliferation and higher rates of senescence. Pseudogenes of this gene have been found on chromosomes 1 and 7. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Mar 2015].