Phosphoglycerate kinase (Cutibacterium acnes) (PGK)

Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) is a vital enzyme in the metabolic pathway of Cutibacterium acnes, the bacterium primarily responsible for the development of acne vulgaris (UniProt, 2024). It facilitates the transfer of a phosphate group from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate to ADP, resulting in the formation of 3-phosphoglycerate and ATP, which is a critical step for energy production during glycolysis (NCBI, 2023). Because C. acnes thrives in the anaerobic environment of the skin's pilosebaceous units, its energy metabolism is a focal point for potential therapeutic intervention (PubMed, 2021). Targeting PGK offers a strategy to inhibit bacterial growth by starving the pathogen of its primary energy source. Although there are currently no FDA-approved drugs that specifically target C. acnes PGK, it is an active area of research for the development of next-generation, site-specific antimicrobials (Journal of Dermatological Science, 2022). Such inhibitors would ideally provide a narrow-spectrum approach to treating resistant acne while minimizing the impact on the broader human microbiome.

Other names

3-phosphoglycerate kinaseATP:3-phospho-D-glycerate 1-phosphotransferasePropionibacterium acnes phosphoglycerate kinasepgk

Inhibition of the glycolytic pathway leading to ATP depletion and bacterial growth arrest.