Heterochronic protein which controls the choice of stage specific cell fates. Involved in the temporal progression of vulval fate patterning, possibly by inhibiting lin-12. Acts as a transcription factor involved in the stage-specific repression of various genes, including insulin/insulin-like growth factor gene ins-33 and neuropeptide-encoding gene nlp-45. Binds to the consensus sequence 5'-[CT]GGA[AG]-3' in the regulatory elements of target genes. Plays a role in governing the developmental timing of male tail tip morphogenesis. Plays a role in controlling the timing of seam cell development during the larval stages. Plays a role in promoting survival at high temperatures in larvae. Involved in maintenance of the architecture of the ventral nerve cord, perhaps acting via modulating expression of the immunoglobulin domain gene zig-4