Regulator of meiotic chromosome structure and function, playing a role in sister chromatid cohesion, possibly via antagonizing the coh-3/-4 association with axial elements in nuclei during late prophase, cohesin association with chromatin, DNA double strand break repair and polar body positioning following meiotic divisions during oogenesis (PubMed:26841696). Regulates the morphogenesis and temporal assembly of axial elements to control the organization of meiotic chromosomes in pachytene nuclei and is also involved in meiotic chromosomal remodeling in late pachytene nuclei (PubMed:26841696). Required for the removal of the cohesin component scc-1 from mitotic chromosomes (PubMed:18202360). Expressed in mitotic and meiotic nuclei, with low expression in nuclei during the early meiotic prophase stages leptotene and zygotene, and increased expression in late pachytene nuclei which then continues to remain high in diplotene and diakinesis oocytes. Mutants have an egg-laying defect and reduced brood size with 20.8% displaying embryonic lethality whilst 28.38% arrest at the larval stage. Recombination intermediates accumulate in mid pachytene nuclei resulting in delayed meiotic double stranded break repair. Irregular polar body extrusion from the egg pronucleus and localization following meiotic divisions which can lead to aneuploidy in the embryo. Altered meiotic chromosomal organization due to shorter axial elements in late pachytene nuclei. Defective chromatin remodeling in late pachytene meiotic chromosomes characterized by increased cohesin associated with diplotene chromosomes, but reduced association in late diakinesis oocytes, changes in axial element composition including absent axial element coiling, accumulation of cohesin and a more linear appearance of axial elements, and altered disassembly of the synaptonemal complex in diplotene and diakinesis oocytes (PubMed:26841696). RNAi-mediated knockdown leads to aberrant localization of the cohesin component scc-1 to mitotic metaphase chromosomes (PubMed:18202360). Belongs to the WAPL family.