Acts in a signal transduction pathway that regulates the slug versus culmination choice. Believed to be the first component of a phosphorelay that couples the sensing of ammonia to the modulation of PKA activity and hence activates culmination and spore germination. Ammonium transporters amtA and amtC are thought to respectively activate and inhibit dhkC phosphorelay. This protein probably undergoes an ATP-dependent autophosphorylation at conserved His residue in the kinase core, and a phosphoryl group is then transferred to a conserved aspartate residue in the receiver domain. ATP + protein L-histidine = ADP + protein N-phospho-L-histidine. Expressed at low levels during growth and development, with a peak during early aggregation (8 h). Mounds display weak expression within the upper regions and very strong expression at the perimeter of basal cells in contact with the substrate. Expression becomes tip-specific during first finger formation.