Plays an essential role in the maturation of presomitic mesoderm cells by individual attenuation of both fgf and wnt signaling. Inhibits both wnt and fgf signaling through the regulation of protein maturation and cell surface transportation of their receptors within the endoplasmic reticulum. Interacts with fzd8 and fgfr1. At late gastrula/early neurula stages expression is restricted to two stripes in the dorsal side but excluded from the dorsal midline. As somitogenesis commences, expression is localized to the paraxial region, lateral to the involuting neural tube. As development proceeds, expressied forming somites. Expression is stronger in the presomitic mesoderm and decreases as somites are formed. 'Shisa' was named after a sculpture form, common to southern Japan, with a large head similar to the Egyptian sphinx. Belongs to the shisa family. Contaminating sequence. Potential poly-A sequence.