Cytoplasmic dynein 1 acts as a motor for the intracellular retrograde motility of vesicles and organelles along microtubules. Dynein has ATPase activity; the force-producing power stroke is thought to occur on release of ADP. Plays a role in mitotic spindle assembly and metaphase plate congression. Homodimer. The cytoplasmic dynein 1 complex consists of two catalytic heavy chains (HCs) and a number of non-catalytic subunits presented by intermediate chains (ICs), light intermediate chains (LICs) and light chains (LCs); the composition seems to vary in respect to the IC, LIC and LC composition. The heavy chain homodimer serves as a scaffold for the probable homodimeric assembly of the respective non-catalytic subunits. The ICs and LICs bind directly to the HC dimer and dynein LCs assemble on the IC dimer (PubMed:2140361). Interacts with DYNC1LI1; DYNC1LI1 and DYNC1LI2 bind mutually exclusive to DYNC1H1. Interacts with DYNC1LI2; DYNC1LI1 and DYNC1LI2 bind mutually exclusive to DYNC1H1. Interacts with DYNC1I2 (PubMed:10893223). Interacts with BICD2 (By similarity). Interacts with DNALI1 (By similarity). 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. Belongs to the dynein heavy chain family.