Probable ATP-binding RNA helicase. May act redundantly with the P-granule component glh-1 to regulate the formation of the granular structure of P-granules in embryos (PubMed:21402787, PubMed:24746798). May protect somatic cells from excessive apoptosis during normal development (PubMed:27650246). ATP + H2O = ADP + H(+) + phosphate Interacts (via C-terminus) with kgb-1. During germline proliferation. Knockout with RNAi-mediated knockdown of glh-1 results in smaller P-granules and irregular cytoplasmic localization of the P-granule component pgl-3 in embryos (PubMed:21402787). Quadruple RNAi-mediated knockdown with glh-1, pgl-1 and pgl-3 results in offspring that display 27-89% sterility, abnormal oocytes and do not have embryos in the uterus (PubMed:24746798). These sterile offspring still produce sperm (PubMed:24746798). Furthermore, these offspring may have compromised P-granule integrity as there is diffuse cytoplasmic localization of the P-granule component deps-1, which may cause germ cells to initiate somatic reprogramming (PubMed:24746798). RNAi-mediated knockdown in a double ced-1 and hpl-2 mutant background rescues the reduced somatic cell apoptotic cell defect in the ced-1 and hpl-2 double knockout (PubMed:27650246). Belongs to the DEAD box helicase family. DDX4/VASA subfamily.