The enzyme is involved in the pathway for bacterial cell-wall peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide biosyntheses, being an essential step in the pathway for UDP-N-acetylglucosamine biosynthesis. The enzyme from?Escherichia coli?is activated by phosphorylation and can be autophosphorylated in vitro by ¦Á-D-glucosamine 1,6-bisphosphate, which is an intermediate in the reaction, ¦Á-D-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate or ATP. It can also catalyse the interconversion of ¦Á-D-glucose 1-phosphate and glucose 6-phosphate, although at a much lower rate.
