The winged-bean tuber lectin binds to N-dansyl(5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulphonic acid)galactosamine, leading to a 12.5-fold increase in dansyl fluorescence with a concomitant 25 nm blue-shift in the emission maximum. The enhancement of fluorescence intensity was completely reversed by the addition of methyl alpha-galactopyranoside. The lectin has two binding sites per molecule for this fluorescent sugar and an association constant of 2.59.10(5) M-1 at 25 degrees C. The binding of N-dansylgalactosamine to the lectin shows that it can accommodate a large hydrophobic substituent on the C-2 carbon of D-galactose. Studies with other sugars indicate that a hydrophobic substituent with alpha-conformation at the anomeric position increases the affinity of binding. The C-4 and C-6 hydroxyl groups are also critical for sugar binding to this lectin.