The metabolism of mannose by human erythrocytes has been investigated. Phosphorylation of mannose is achieved by an enzyme with electrophoretic mobility on starch gel indistinguishable from the glucose-phosphorylating enzyme. Mannose phosphorylation is competitively inhibited by glucose; glucose phosphorylation is competitively inhibited by mannose. The K(i) values of inhibition are similar to the K(m) values for uninhibited phosphorylation. The normal average mannose-phosphorylating activity was found to be 0.69 U/g of Hb; the normal average glucose-phosphorylating activity was found to be 0.64 U/g of Hb. The ratio of mannose-phosphorylating activity to glucose-phosphorylating activity of a hemolysate prepared from the red cells of a subject with hexokinase deficiency was found to be within the normal range.Phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) activity of the red cells was found to average 0.064 U/g of Hb at its pH optimum of 5.9 with a mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) concentration of 5 mmoles/liter. The enzyme activity in young cells was greater than activity in old cells. When human erythrocytes are incubated with mannose rapid accumulation of Man-6-P occurs, a finding indicating that PMI and not hexokinase is the limiting enzyme in the over-all conversion of mannose to fructose by the red cell. The ratio of mannose utilization to glucose utilization in hexokinase-deficient cells was greater than normal, as has been reported previously. These cells were found to have greatly increased PMI activity, presumably because of their young mean cell age. Consequently, Man-6-P accumulated only approximately one-third as rapidly as normal in hexokinase-deficient cells incubated with mannose. It is believed that the more rapid utilization of mannose relative to glucose by intact hexokinase-deficient cells may be explained on the basis of the regulatory effect of the PMI reaction on the rate of mannose utilization.