Plays a role in alae formation in dauer larvae probably by regulating cuticle assembly. Expressed in late embryos (PubMed:12921736). At the L1 larval stage and during the dauer stages, it is expressed adjacent to the lateral edges of the alae (at protein level) (PubMed:12921736). In the L2 pre-dauer stage, expressed in the head hypodermal cells hyp3, hyp4, hyp5, hyp6 and hyp7, along the main body and in tail hyp8, hyp9, hyp10 and hyp11 (PubMed:12921736). Not expressed at adult stages (at protein level) (PubMed:12921736). RNAi-mediated knockdown results in shorter and fatter dauer phase animals (dumpy phenotype) (PubMed:12921736, PubMed:15936343). RNAi-mediated knockdown results in a folded pharynx in some animals (PubMed:12921736). RNAi-mediated knockdown results in no alae formation (PubMed:12921736). However, other studies indicate that RNAi-mediated knockdown results in partially formed alae (PubMed:15936343).