Involved in programmed apoptosis and necrosis. Required for the cell corpse engulfment process. Has roles in the formation of actin halos and distal tip cell migration (PubMed:11703939, PubMed:11703940, PubMed:11146658, PubMed:11595183, PubMed:14645848, PubMed:15620647, PubMed:15247908, PubMed:15744306, PubMed:21490059). Negatively regulates the unc-6/Netrin receptor unc-5 to control distal tip cell migration along the anterior-posterior axis of the body (PubMed:26292279). Plays no role in amphid axon outgrowth (PubMed:12297102). Interacts with psr-1. Forms a ternary complex with ced-2 and ced-5. Punctate localization. Expressed in developing embryos. The PH domain binds phosphatidylinositol 3,5-biphosphate, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate in vitro (PubMed:21490059). Required for punctate localization in the cytoplasm and cell corpse engulfment (PubMed:11703939). Required for distal cell tip migration (PubMed:15247908). Deformity in the gonadal arm (PubMed:11703940). Defective distal tip cell migration (PubMed:11703939, PubMed:11703940, PubMed:15247908, PubMed:26292279). Defective cell corpse engulfment with an increased number of cell corpses (PubMed:11703939, PubMed:11703940, PubMed:11146658, PubMed:15620647). Absent actin 'halos' around early apoptotic corpses, which is likely indicative of defective actin reorganization around the apoptotic cell (PubMed:15744306). Double knockout in an unc-5 or unc-40 mutant background suppresses the distal tip cell migratory defect in the respective single mutants (PubMed:26292279).