Also called lipid-A 4'-kinase. This essential gene encodes an enzyme in the pathway of lipid A biosynthesis in Gram-negative organisms. A single copy of this protein is found in Gram-negative bacteria. PSI-BLAST converges on this set of apparent orthologs without identifying any other homologs. [Cell envelope, Biosynthesis and degradation of surface polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides]