Catalyzes the phosphorylation of pantothenate to generate 4'-phosphopantothenate in the first and rate-determining step of coenzyme A (CoA) synthesis. (R)-pantothenate + ATP = (R)-4'-phosphopantothenate + ADP + H(+) Regulated by feedback inhibition by CoA and its thioesters. Cofactor biosynthesis; coenzyme A biosynthesis; CoA from (R)-pantothenate: step 1/5. Homodimer. Expressed at high levels in brain, heart, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle and testis. Detected at much lower levels in kidney, liver, brain and testis and not detected in heart or skeletal muscle. Induced by bezafibrate, a hypolipidemic drug which acts as an agonist of peroxisome proliferator activator receptor alpha (PPARA), while isoform 2 levels decrease slightly. The N-terminal extension, may be the regulatory domain. Belongs to the type II pantothenate kinase family.