Undecaprenol kinase: Function, mechanism and substrate specificity of a potential antibiotic target

The bifunctional undecaprenol kinase/phosphatase (UdpK) is a small, prokaryotic, integral membrane kinase, homologous with Escherichia coli diacylglycerol kinase and expressed by the dgkA gene. In Gram-positive bacteria, UdpK involved in homeostasis of bacterial undecaprenoid pool, where it converts to undecaprenyl phosphate (C55P) also catalyses reverse process. C55P universal lipid carrier critical numerous glycopolymer glycoprotein biosynthetic pathways bacteria. DgkA gene expression has been linked facilitating growth survival response environmental stressors, as well being implicated resistance mechanism topical antibiotic bacitracin, providing an additional route C55P. Therefore, identification inhibitors could lead novel treatments. A combination homology modelling mutagenesis experiments on have used identify residues that may be activity. this review, we will summarise recent work substrate specificity UdpK.