Histidine kinases as antimicrobial targets: prospects and pitfalls.

ABSTRACT

Histidine kinases are ubiquitous molecular sensors that are used by bacteria to detect and respond to a myriad of environmental signals. They are attractive antimicrobial targets because of their roles in mediating the virulence of pathogenic organisms, as well as the ability of bacteria to resist host defenses and develop resistance to antibiotics. In this review, we discuss the challenges involved in developing specific inhibitors of this highly diverse group of kinases.