Scaffold protein in the HKR1 sub-branch of the Hog1p-signaling pathway; physically interacts with the cytoplasmic domain of Hkr1p, and with Sho1p, Pbs2p, and Ste11p; prevents cross-talk signaling from Hkr1p of the osmotic stress MAPK cascade to the Kss1p MAPK cascade; non-essential gene