Lacto-N-biose phosphorylase (LNBP) from bifidobacteria is involved in the metabolism of lacto-N-biose I (Gal beta 1 -> 3GlcNAc, LNB) and galacto-N-biose (Gal beta 1 -> 3GalNAc, GNB). A homologous gene of LNBP (CPF0553 protein) was identified in the genome of Clostridium perfringens ATCC13124, which is a gram-positive anaerobic intestinal bacterium. In the present study, we cloned the gene and compared the substrate specificity of the CPF0553 protein with LNBP from Bifidobacterium longum JCM1217 (LNBPBl). In the presence of alpha-galactose 1-phosphate (Gal 1-P) as a donor, the CPF0553 protein acted only on GlcNAc and GalNAc, and GalNAc was a more effective acceptor than GlcNAc. The reaction product from GlcNAc/GalNAc and Gal 1-P was identified as LNB or GNB. The CPF0553 protein also phosphorolyzed GNB much faster than LNB, which suggests that the protein should be named galacto-N-biose phosphorylase (GNBP). GNBP showed a k (cat)/K-m value for GNB that was approximately 50 times higher than that for LNB, whereas LNBPBl showed similar k(cat)/K-m values for both GNB and LNB. Because C. perfringens possesses a gene coding endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase, GNBP may play a role in the intestinal residence by metabolizing GNB that is available as a mucin core sugar.