KLHL1 is a cytoplasmic protein associated with the cytoskeleton. According to UniProt, it may play a role in organising the actin cytoskeleton of brain cells. The NCBI Gene summary places the KLHL1 protein in a family of actin-organizing proteins related to Drosophila Kelch, a grouping described by Nemes and colleagues in 2000. Beyond this proposed role in actin organisation, the available annotation does not define a more detailed mechanism, so the function is best treated as putative.

The KLHL1 gene encodes Kelch-like protein 1 and is classified by HGNC within the kelch like and BTB domain containing gene groups. Members of this group share the family features that give it its name, and KLHL1 sits alongside other kelch-like proteins such as KLHL2, KLHL12, KLHL17, KLHL20 and KLHL29. The mouse ortholog is Klhl1, which allows the gene to be studied in rodent models.

The gene has been known under several names. Its approved name, kelch like family member 1, replaced the earlier forms kelch (Drosophila)-like 1 and kelch-like 1 (Drosophila), which reflect its relationship to the Drosophila kelch gene. Aliases found in the literature and databases include KIAA1490, MRP2 and FLJ30047. Researchers working on neuronal cytoskeletal organisation may use a KLHL1 antibody or KLHL1 ELISA kit to study its expression, although the source annotation does not specify tissue distribution beyond brain cells.