Pyranose oxidases are known to oxidise d-glucose, d-xylose and lsorbose to keto-aldoses, biochemically interesting compounds that may also be used for synthetic purposes in a variety of reactions. In this study pyranose oxidase from the basidiomycete Peniophora gigantea was investigated, and it was found that this enzyme is able to oxidise a broad variety of substrates very effectively. In analogy to its natural mode of action, most substrates are oxidised regioselectively in position 2. Certain compounds, however, are converted into 3-keto derivatives, and the enzyme even exhibits transfer potential, that is, disaccharides are formed from bglycosides of higher alcohols. Substrates that may be oxidised at C-2 in yields between 40 ± 98 % are d-allose, d-galactose, 6-deoxy-d-glucose, d-gentiobiose, a-d-glucopyranosyl fluoride and the very interesting 3-deoxy-d-glucose. 1,5-Anhydro-d-glucitol (1-deoxy-d-glucose) is very effectively oxidised in position 2 in 98 % yield and additionally gives a product of dioxidation at C-2 and C-3 upon prolonged reaction time. Selective oxidation at C-3 was found for 2-deoxyd-glucose in very good yields and for methyl b-d-gluco-and methyl b-galactopyranoside in lower yields. All oxidation products were unequivocally characterised by NMR spectroscopy and/or chemical derivatisation. In addition, the kinetic data of the enzymatic reactions were determined for all substrates. On the basis of these data and the structural characteristics of the substrates, a model for the minimal structural requirements of the enzyme ± substrate interaction is suggested. The enzyme presumably uses two different binding modes for the regioselective C-2 and the C-3 oxidations, which are described.