Transcription factor which regulates the expression of various genes, including those involved in cuticle synthesis and maintenance, such as collagens, and in lipid metabolism (PubMed:7671813, PubMed:29604168, PubMed:31974205, PubMed:27401555). Binds to promoter regions of genes, at 5'-[(T/G)TTTTTT(A/T/C/G)]-3' consensus sequences (PubMed:29604168, PubMed:25905672). Heterochronic protein which controls the choice of stage specific cell fates, including at the juvenile to adult transition (PubMed:7671813, PubMed:32223899). Promotes differentiation, together with transcriptional cofactor mab-10, perhaps as part of a transcriptional complex (PubMed:21862562). Required for vulval morphogenesis and egg laying; perhaps by acting in a subset of the lateral seam cells (PubMed:9334281). Involved in the exit of seam cells from the cell cycle (PubMed:32223899). Required for specification of uterine pi-cell fate, acting upstream of lin-12 Notch signaling, perhaps via maintenance of lag-2 expression in the anchor cell (AC) (PubMed:11114514). Involved in morphogenesis of the specialized male tail used in mating (PubMed:9986728). Acts cell non-autonomously from the hypodermis to regulate expression of genes in the intestine, including genes involved in lipid metabolism (PubMed:31974205, PubMed:27401555). May regulate vitellogenesis via the mTORC2 signaling mediated pathway, independently of daf-16 (PubMed:27401555). May promote nuclear accumulation of mab-10 in seam cells post-transcriptionally (PubMed:21862562). Dispensable for seam cell fusion (PubMed:32223899). Required for seam cell fusion. Interacts (via C-terminus) with transcription cofactor mab-10. Accumulates in nuclei of hypodermal cells in a temporally restricted fashion, beginning during the larval L4 stage. Expressed in lateral hypodermal seam cells (at protein level). Expressed in all larval stages, increasing in level from L1 to L4 and then diminishing in younger and older adults (PubMed:7671813). Expressed in hermaphrodite lateral hypodermal seam cells during the larval L3- to L4-molt stage and into adulthood (at protein level) (PubMed:8756296). Expressed in the hypodermal cells of the head (hyp1-hyp6), tail (hyp8-hyp12), and the large hypodermal syncytium covering most of the animal (hyp7) (at protein level) (PubMed:8756296, PubMed:27401555). Also expressed in some non-hypodermal cells during stages L2 to L4 (at protein level) (PubMed:8756296, PubMed:9334281). Expressed in the anchor cell beginning at the L2 molt or early L3 stage (PubMed:9334281). Male-specific expression in the linker cell (LC), positioned at the tip of the growing end of the gonad at stage L3 (at protein level). Male-specific expression in ventral cord neurons from late L3 stage (at protein level) (PubMed:9986728). Expressed in all larval stages, increasing in level from L2 to L4 and then diminishing in younger and older adults (PubMed:7671813). Expressed at low level in lateral seam cells in larval L3 stage and up-regulated during L4, including in the major hypodermal syncytium hyp7 (PubMed:32223899). RNAi-mediated knockdown abolished expression of collagen col-38 at mid-to-late larval stage L4 (PubMed:29604168). Knockdown, whether untargeted, or hypodermis-specific, represses intestinal genes involved in fatty acid metabolism and beta-oxidation in the L4 larval stage (PubMed:31974205). Drastically reduces expression of the vitellogenin genes (PubMed:27401555). Knockdown causes transcription factor pqm-1 to accumulate in the intestinal nuclei at adulthood, but has no effect on daf-16 localization (PubMed:27401555).