The function of DGKA (diacylglycerol kinase alpha, Ensembl gene identifier ENSG00000065357) is as follows. Diacylglycerol kinase that converts diacylglycerol/DAG into phosphatidic acid/phosphatidate/PA and regulates the respective levels of these two bioactive lipids (PubMed:15544348, PubMed:2175712). Thereby, acts as a central switch between the signaling pathways activated by these second messengers with different cellular targets and opposite effects in numerous biological processes (PubMed:15544348, PubMed:2175712). Also plays an important role in the biosynthesis of complex lipids (Probable). Can also phosphorylate 1-alkyl-2- acylglycerol in vitro as efficiently as diacylglycerol provided it contains an arachidonoyl group (PubMed:15544348). Also involved in the production of alkyl-lysophosphatidic acid, another bioactive lipid, through the phosphorylation of 1-alkyl-2-acetyl glycerol (PubMed:22627129). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:15544348, ECO:0000269|PubMed:2175712, ECO:0000269|PubMed:22627129, ECO:0000305}.