Chapter 27 - Bacterial protein kinases: A target to inhibit the bacterial infections

Abstract

The new strategies of transmission exhibited by multidrug resistant bacteria and the rise in the infections caused by MDR bacterial pathogens raise the need to develop new therapeutics. Bacterial kinases are a group of enzymes known to regulate various metabolic processes needed for the pathogenesis, virulence, upregulation of efflux pumps to discard the antibiotics, and synthesis of capsular polysaccharides. The bacterial pathogen utilizes these protein modifications to manipulate the host defense mechanisms to propagate their infection. Kinases as a therapeutic option offer a new aspect in controlling the infections caused by these bacteria. In the present book chapter, the diverse role of bacterial protein kinases such as serine/threonine kinases, tyrosine kinases, arginine kinases, histidine kinases has been explained in context to their role in bacterial pathogenesis. Different types of kinase inhibitors that have been experimentally validated to control bacterial infections have also been discussed. Bacterial kinases offer a more promising target as there are fewer chances of gaining new types of resistance and a higher probability of success as they are directly related to the basic survival mechanisms of the pathogen.