Acts as one of several non-catalytic accessory components of the cytoplasmic dynein complex that are thought to be involved in linking dynein to cargos and to adapter proteins that regulate dynein function. Cytoplasmic dynein acts as a motor for the intracellular retrograde motility of vesicles and organelles along microtubules. May play a role in changing or maintaining the spatial distribution of cytoskeletal structures (By similarity). {ECO:0000250}.