Phosphoglucomutases, such as PGM5, are phosphotransferases involved in interconversion of glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate. PGM activity is essential in formation of carbohydrates from glucose-6-phosphate and in formation of glucose-6-phosphate from galactose and glycogen.

From a chromosome 6 library, they isolated a PGM-related expressed sequence with 74% nucleotide identity to PGM1. However, gene mapping data showed that the gene is a novel member of the PGM family, PGM5, from chromosome 9 rather than chromosome 6. RT-PCR and Northern blot analysis indicated that PGM5 is an expressed gene with widespread distribution in adult and fetal tissues.