Component of cell cycle checkpoints, which ensures chromosome segregation during meiosis and mitosis (PubMed:18923084). During meiotic prophase, it is involved in the regulation of the synapsis checkpoint, which monitors whether homologous chromosomes have synapsed, and the DNA damage response (PubMed:30293721). Plays a central role in chromosome cohesion during cell division by preventing premature dissociation of cohesin complex after prophase, when most of cohesin complex dissociates from chromosomes arms (By similarity). Localizes to nuclei prior to entry into meiotic prophase and late meiotic prophase (PubMed:30293721). Localizes to the short arms of bivalent chromosomes from late diakinesis until anaphase II (PubMed:18923084). Expressed in gonads. Expressed in embryos. Viable with 100% of viable progeny (PubMed:30293721). Defects in the regulation of the synapsis checkpoint and DNA damage response in meiosis with an increased rate of synaptonemal complex disassembly in late pachytene meiotic nuclei and an increased number of rad-51 positive and hus-1 positive nuclei in meiotic prophase (PubMed:30293721). Reduces the number of apoptotic nuclei in the syp-1 mutant background, which is indicative of inactivation of the synapsis checkpoint or the DNA damage response (PubMed:30293721). RNAi-mediated knockdown results in chromosome segregation defects during meiosis and mitosis (PubMed:18923084). Belongs to the shugoshin family.