Developmental protein involved in oogenesis (PubMed:16616913). Required for germline maintenance, stability of mitotic spindles, localization of patterning determinants, oocyte growth and fusome biogenesis in males and females (PubMed:16616913). Also required for dorso-ventral and antero-posterior patterning of oocyte and eggshell (PubMed:16616913). May be involved in microtubule function during oogenesis (PubMed:16616913). Part of a rhi-dependent transcription machinery that enables the generation of piRNA precursors from heterochromatin while maintaining the suppression of transposon-encoded promoters and enhancers (PubMed:28847004). Component of the RDC complex (rhi, del and cuff) which binds to repressive H3K9me3 marks in the piRNA clusters (PubMed:28847004). RDC promotes the bidirectional transcription of piRNA clusters at these sites by interacting with Moonshiner which forms a complex with the transcription initiation factors TfIIA-S and Trf2 (PubMed:28847004). This mechanism allows transcription to occur in piRNA clusters despite the lack of proper promoter elements and in the presence of the repressive H3K9me3 mark (PubMed:28847004). Colocalizes with the oocyte nucleus at midstages of oogenesis and with the centrosomes of early embryos (PubMed:16616913). Expressed in nuclear foci (PubMed:28847004).