Dispensable for both meiotic and mitotic cell cycle progression (PubMed:24206843, PubMed:23884434). Required with SGO1 for full protection of centromeric cohesion during anaphase I (PubMed:24206843). Required to prevent precocious release of pericentromeric cohesins during meiosis (PubMed:24206843). Acts redundantly to SGO1 (PubMed:24506176). Shugoshin is Japanese for guardian spirit. Knock-down mutants show no meiotic or vegetative defects and no reduced fertility (PubMed:24206843, PubMed:23884434). Sgo1 and sgo2 double mutants are almost completely sterile and show a premature separation of sister chromatids at anaphase I (PubMed:24506176). Belongs to the shugoshin family.