Chapter 26 - Bacterial histidine kinases as potential antibacterial drug targets

Abstract

Bacterial histidine kinases (HKs) are potential targets for novel antimicrobials. Bacterial HKs are part of the bacterial two-component system (TCS), the key pathway for signal transduction in bacteria that regulate several processes like secretion systems, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. The microbial population in a broad range of environmental conditions sense and respond to various external stimuli for their survival. Histidine kinases are unique to each external stimulus, and these are highly conserved, which implies broad-spectrum antibacterial activity to the inhibitors targeting this site. This chapter would outline our current understanding of the structure and function of histidine kinase and the development of antimicrobials targeting histidine kinase stimulated signal transduction and its succeeding regulation of gene expression system. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the inhibitors that have been reported to target HKs in pathogenic bacteria.