The enzymatic synthesis of 8-azapurine and 8-aza-7-deazapurine 2-deoxyribonucleosides has been studied. Two methods have been used: (i) transglycosylation employing 2-deoxyguanosine, 2-deoxycytidine, 2-deoxyuridine, and 2-deoxythymidine as 2-deoxy-d-ribofuranose donors and recombinant E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) as biocatalyst, and (ii) one-pot synthesis from 2-deoxy-d-ribose and nucleobases employing recombinant E. coli ribokinase (RK), phosphopentomutase (PPM) and PNP as biocatalysts. Good substrate activity was observed for all bases studied except 2-amino-8-aza-6-chloro-7-deazapurine, which afforded the desired N9-nucleoside in moderate yield due to very low solubility of the base and partial replacement of C6-chloro atom of the base and formed nucleoside with a hydroxy group. The participation of Ser90 Oγof E. coli PNP in the binding of 8-aza-7-deazapurines in the catalytic center of PNP followed by the formation of a productive complex and glycosidic bond is suggested. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York.