Schip1, short for Schwannomin interacting protein 1, is a gene with diverse functions. It is involved in the Hippo signaling pathway, which is crucial for regulating organ size in animal development [1]. Additionally, Schip1 is associated with the organization of the cytoskeleton and has been linked to various biological processes in different tissues. Genetic models, such as knockout mouse models, have been valuable in understanding its functions.

In Drosophila, Schip1 provides a link between Expanded and Hippo in the Hippo signaling pathway by recruiting the Hpo kinase Tao-1, thus regulating organ growth [1]. In mice, Schip1 mutant models have shown its importance in axon guidance, piriform cortex, and anterior commissure development. Mutant mice display early defects in anterior commissure development, likely due to impaired axon growth and guidance, as well as a reduced thickness of the piriform cortex [4]. In zebrafish, morpholino knock-down of Schip1 leads to foot process disorganization and podocyte loss, resulting in proteinuria, indicating its role in pronephros development and function [2].

In conclusion, Schip1 plays essential roles in multiple biological processes including organ growth regulation via the Hippo signaling pathway, axon development, and podocyte function. The use of gene knockout models in Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice has significantly contributed to understanding Schip1's functions in these processes, which may have implications for related diseases such as neurodevelopmental disorders and proteinuric diseases [1,2,3,4].

References:

1. Chung, Hyung-Lok, Augustine, George J, Choi, Kwang-Wook. . Drosophila Schip1 Links Expanded and Tao-1 to Regulate Hippo Signaling. In Developmental cell, 36, 511-24. doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2016.02.004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26954546/

2. Perisic, Ljubica, Rodriguez, Patricia Q, Hultenby, Kjell, Tryggvason, Karl, Patrakka, Jaakko. 2015. Schip1 is a novel podocyte foot process protein that mediates actin cytoskeleton rearrangements and forms a complex with Nherf2 and ezrin. In PloS one, 10, e0122067. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0122067. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25807495/

3. Elsaid, M F, Chalhoub, N, Ben-Omran, T, Elizabeth Ross, M, Abdel Aleem, A K. 2017. Homozygous nonsense mutation in SCHIP1/IQCJ-SCHIP1 causes a neurodevelopmental brain malformation syndrome. In Clinical genetics, 93, 387-391. doi:10.1111/cge.13122. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28787085/

4. Klingler, Esther, Martin, Pierre-Marie, Garcia, Marta, Girault, Jean-Antoine, Goutebroze, Laurence. 2015. The cytoskeleton-associated protein SCHIP1 is involved in axon guidance, and is required for piriform cortex and anterior commissure development. In Development (Cambridge, England), 142, 2026-36. doi:10.1242/dev.119248. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25953347/