Required maternally for germline survival and embryogenesis. Forms a complex with gls-1 which promotes the oogenic cell fate by freeing the translational repressor fbf to repress sperm promoting factors. Promotes maturation of primary spermatocytes to mature sperm. Required during hermaphrodite development to promote sperm fate, which is critical for determining the normal number of sperm. Promotion of sperm fate is at the expense of oogenesis, possibly through the negative regulation of fbf. Required during male development for the continued production of sperm and inhibition of oogenesis. Together with gld-2, promotes the transition from mitosis to meiosis. {Experimental EvidencePubMed:12431376, Experimental EvidencePubMed:15454534, Experimental EvidencePubMed:19461891}.