Plays a role in the gonadal basement membrane maintenance and/or adhesion early in development. Contributes to the guidance of pharyngeal neurons. Colocalizes in the nucleus with a punctuate pattern. Isoform 1 is mainly expressed in organs derived from the mesoderm, including the pharynx, vulva muscles, gonad distal tip cells, intestine and several tail neurons. Isoform 2 is mainly expressed in the organs derived from the ectoderm, including hypodermal cells, head ganglion neurons and tail neurons (at protein level). Isoform 1 is expressed in a cluster of cells in the anterior half at 2.5 hours post fertilization (hpf), in hypodermal cells at 5 hpf, in pharyngeal cells, intestinal and some neurons at 6 hpf. Isoform 1 is expressed in pharyngeal cells at L1 larval stage. Isoform 1 is expressed in somatic gonad precursor cells (SGPs) during the L2 larval stage. Isoform 2 is expressed in anterior neuronal cells and posterior hypodermal cells at 5 hpf, in neurons of the head at 7.6 hpf (at protein level). Expressed in somatic gonad founder cells Z1 and Z4, pharynx and muscles. Probably proteolytically processed to generate a N-terminal intracellular domain. Shows gonad disorganization, nerve cord defasciculation and defects in distal tip cell migration and axonal pathfinding. Shows local basement membrane deficiency and early gonad disruption. Belongs to the tenascin family. Teneurin subfamily.