A new vitamin B6 analogue, 6-fluoro-5'-deoxypyridoxal (6-FDPL), was synthesized and characterized. This analogue, as well as 6-fluoropyridoxal (6-FPAL), 6-fluoropyridoxal phosphate (6-FPLP), and 6-fluoropyridoxine, showed positive heteronuclear 1H-19F nuclear Overhauser effects between the 5'-protons and the 6-fluorine. Apophosphorylase reconstituted with 6-FDPL showed 1% of the activity of the native enzyme in the presence of phosphite. The kinetic pattern, apparent pH optimum of activity, and the activity-temperature dependency of the 6-FDPL-enzyme were virtually identical with those of phosphorylase reconstituted with the parent compound, 6-FPAL [Chang, Y. C., & Graves, D. J. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 2709-2714], except the Km of phosphite toward the 6-FDPL-enzyme was 9 times higher than that with the 6-FPAL-enzyme and the 6-FDPL-enzyme showed a lower Vmax value. Phosphorylase reconstituted with 5'-deoxypyridoxal (DPL) also showed activity in the presence of phosphite. The kinetics and the temperature-activity dependency of this reconstituted enzyme were investigated. 19F nuclear magnetic resonance studies showed that the binding of glucose 1-phosphate to a 6-FDPL-enzyme-adenosine 5'-phosphate (AMP) complex shifted the 19F signal 0.6 ppm upfield, whereas a 2.1 ppm change was observed when the 6-FPAL-enzyme-AMP formed a complex with glucose 1-phosphate [Chang, Y. C., Scott, R. D., & Graves, D. J. (1986) Biochemistry 25, 1932-1939].(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)