Acts via the piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) metabolic process, which mediates the repression of transposable elements during meiosis by forming complexes composed of piRNAs and Piwi proteins and governs the methylation and subsequent repression of transposons. Directly binds piRNAs, a class of 24 to 30 nucleotide RNAs that are generated by a Dicer-independent mechanism and are primarily derived from transposons and other repeated sequence elements. In ovary, associates predominantly with antisense piRNAs that contain uridine at their 5' end. In testis, associates with Su(Ste) antisense piRNAs (most abundant class of piRNAs found in complex with aub in testes) and negatively regulates Ste expression, most likely by cleaving its transcripts. Also in testis, may repress translation of vas when associated with a piRNA derived from chromosome X, termed AT-chX-1, whose sequence shows strong complementarity to vas mRNA. Aub-piRNA complexes from ovary and testis possess RNA cleavage activity. Involved in telomere regulation by repressing specialized telomeric retroelements HeT-A and TART; Drosophila telomeres being maintained by transposition of specialized telomeric retroelements. Also involved in telomeric trans-silencing, a repression mechanism by which a transposon or a transgene inserted in subtelomeric heterochromatin has the capacity to repress in trans, in the female germline, a homologous transposon, or transgene located in euchromatin. Involved in the suppression of meiotic drive of sex chromosomes and autosomes. Involved in transposon silencing in the adult brain. Required for dorsal-ventral as well as anterior-posterior patterning of the egg. Required during oogenesis for primordial germ cell formation and activation of RNA interference. During early oogenesis, required for osk mRNA silencing and polarization of the microtubule cytoskeleton. During mid-oogenesis, required for osk mRNA localization to the posterior pole and efficient translation of osk and grk. During embryogenesis, required for posterior localization of nos mRNA, independently of osk, and pole cell formation. Essential for the formation and/or structural integrity of perinuclear nuage particles. Required for the localization of Mael to the meiotic nuage. Forms a complex with smg, twin, AGO3 and specific piRNAs that targets nos mRNA (and probably other maternal mRNAS) for deadenylation promoting its decay during early embryogenesis. Interacts with vas and AGO3 (PubMed:18590813, PubMed:19959991). Interacts (when methylated on arginine residues) with tud (PubMed:18590813, PubMed:19926723, PubMed:19959991, PubMed:20713507). Forms a complex with smg, twin, AGO3, nos mRNA and piRNAs that targets the nos 3'-untranslated region, in early embryos (PubMed:20953170). Interacts with nos mRNA and rump (in an RNA-dependent manner) (PubMed:20937269). Interacts with papi and vret (PubMed:21447556, PubMed:21831924). Interacts with me31B (PubMed:28945271). Component of the meiotic nuage, also named P granule, a germ-cell-specific organelle required to repress transposon activity during meiosis. In the oocyte and later in the embryo, concentrates at the posterior pole as a component of polar granules. In the cytoplasm of syncytial embryos, accumulates in discrete foci. Expressed in ovary. In the germarium, found in germline stem and cyst cells. In egg chambers from stage 6, expressed both in nurse cells and oocytes. In embryos, accumulates in the pole cells, although low expression is detected throughout the entire embryo. In testis, expressed in germline stem cells, gonialblast and spermatogonia cells (at protein level). In the adult brain, expressed in the ellipsoid body, the mushroom body subdivision in the peduncle and the cell body layer. Expressed specifically in alpha'/beta' and gamma neurons. Expressed maternally in oocytes and 0-6 hours old embryos (at protein level). Symmetrical dimethylation on Arg-11, Arg-13 and/or Arg-15, most likely by csul, is required for binding to tud, localization to the pole plasm and association with the correct piRNAs. Female sterility, consequence of a maternal lethal effect. Approximately 2% of the embryos from aub mutant females are fertilized and secrete a recognizable cuticle, while all of them lack abdominal segments. Male sterility accompanied by production of Ste protein crystals in primary spermatocytes and by meiotic non-disjunction and drive of sex chromosomes and autosomes. Belongs to the argonaute family. Piwi subfamily.