Component of the dihydroxyacetone kinase complex, which is responsible for the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent phosphorylation of dihydroxyacetone. DhaM serves as the phosphoryl donor. Is phosphorylated by phosphoenolpyruvate in an EI- and HPr-dependent reaction, and a phosphorelay system on histidine residues finally leads to phosphoryl transfer to DhaL and dihydroxyacetone. dihydroxyacetone + phosphoenolpyruvate = dihydroxyacetone phosphate + pyruvate Homodimer. The dihydroxyacetone kinase complex is composed of a homodimer of DhaM, a homodimer of DhaK and the subunit DhaL. The EIIA type-4 domain is phosphorylated by phospho-HPr on a histidyl residue. Then, it transfers the phosphoryl group to the EIIB type-4 domain. Unlike the carbohydrate-specific transporters of the PTS, the complex DhaKML has no transport activity. Belongs to the PEP-utilizing enzyme family.