A phosphoglucomutase (beta-phosphoglucomutase) specific for beta-glucose 1-phosphate, which catalyzes the beta-glucose 1-phosphate:glucose 6-phosphate interconversion, was 560-fold purified from Lactobacillus brevis strain L6. The isoelectric point of beta-phosphoglucomutase was 3.8 and it had an apparent molecular weight of 29,000 estimated by gel chromatography. The enzyme required a divalent cation (Mn2+ greater than Mg2+ greater than Ni2+ greater than Co2+) and beta-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate for activity. The equilibrium constant Ke for the reaction beta-D-glucose 1-phosphate in equilibrium D-glucose 6-phosphate at 30 degrees C and pH 6.7 is 18.5. beta-phosphoglucomutase had a pH optimum between 6.3 and 6.8 and appeared to be quite specific: alpha-glucose 1-phosphate, alpha- or beta-galactose 1-phosphate and alpha- or beta-N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate did not substitute for beta-glucose 1-phosphate. Double reciprocal plots of the data from initial velocity studies at five beta-glucose 1-phosphate concentrations (10 to 100 microM) and four beta-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate concentrations (0.125 to 1.0 microM) showed that the apparent Michaelis constants for beta-glucose 1-phosphate and beta-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate were related to the concentrations of beta-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate and beta-glucose 1-phosphate, respectively, in such a way as to suggest a ping-pong mechanism. The same conclusion was obtained when substrate-velocity relationships were investigated at fixed ratio of both substrates: the Lineweaver-Burk plots showed linear lines and no parabolic ones. The "true" Km for beta-glucose 1-phosphate and beta-glucose 1,6-bisphosphate were found to be about 12 and 0.8 microM, respectively.