Type II HSP40 co-chaperone that interacts with the HSP70 protein Ssa1p; shuttles between cytosol and nucleus; mediates delivery of misfolded proteins into the nucleus for degradation; involved in proteasomal degradation of misfolded cytosolic proteins; protein abundance increases in response to DNA replication stress; polyQ aggregates sequester Sis1p and interfere with clearance of misfolded proteins; similar to bacterial DnaJ proteins and mammalian DnaJB1