Cytoplasmic dynein acts as a motor for the intracellular retrograde motility of vesicles and organelles along microtubules (By similarity). Dynein has ATPase activity; the force-producing power stroke is thought to occur on release of ADP (By similarity). May play a role in nuclear migration in hypodermal precursor cells (PubMed:20005871, PubMed:27697906). May be involved in the transport of synaptic vesicle components towards the axon of the DA motor neuron (PubMed:20510931). This function may involve the regulation of dynein by pct-1 and/or cdk-5 (PubMed:20510931). Involved in the formation of synapses in the dorsal region during synaptic remodeling of DD motor neurons (PubMed:21609829). Required for anterograde trafficking of dense-core vesicles in the DB motor neuron dendrites (PubMed:22699897). Required for the formation of dendritic branches of PVD sensory neurons (PubMed:21205795). May also play a role in GABAergic synaptic vesicle localization in the ventral nerve cord (PubMed:16996038). May play a role in the pairing of homologous chromosomes during meiosis (PubMed:26483555). Consists of at least two heavy chains and a number of intermediate and light chains. Dynein heavy chains probably consist of an N-terminal stem (which binds cargo and interacts with other dynein components), and the head or motor domain. The motor contains six tandemly-linked AAA domains in the head, which form a ring. A stalk-like structure (formed by two of the coiled coil domains) protrudes between AAA 4 and AAA 5 and terminates in a microtubule-binding site. A seventh domain may also contribute to this ring; it is not clear whether the N-terminus or the C-terminus forms this extra domain. There are four well-conserved and two non-conserved ATPase sites, one per AAA domain. Probably only one of these (within AAA 1) actually hydrolyzes ATP, the others may serve a regulatory function. RNAi-mediated knockdown prevents sperm-donated centrosome from leaving the posterior cortex in 1-cell embryos (PubMed:20599902). RNAi-mediated knockdown results in nuclear migration defects in hyp7 hypodermal precursor cells (PubMed:20005871). RNAi-mediated knockdown in a pam-1 mutant background restores anterior-posterior polarity, par-1, par2 and par-6 asymmetric localization and pseudocleavage formation (PubMed:20599902). RNAi-mediated knockdown results in an abnormal distribution of GABAergic synaptic vesicles at synaptic termini of the ventral nerve cord (PubMed:16996038). RNAi-mediated knockdown in combination with exposure to pentylenetetrazole, a GABA antagonist that induces seizures, results in an increased convulsion incidence as compared to wild-type animals (PubMed:16996038). RNAi-mediated knockdown in a fbf-2 loss of function background results in sterility and the formation of small endomitotic oocytes (PubMed:27864381). Belongs to the dynein heavy chain family.