Previous studies have shown that HNK-1 antibody reactive glycoconjugates, including the glycolipids 3-sulfoglucuronylneolactotetraosylceramide (SGGL-1) and 3-sulfoglucuronylneolactohexaosylceramide (SGGL-2), are temporally and spatially regulated antigens in the developing mammalian cortex. Extracellular matrix glycoprotein laminin is involved in cell adhesion by interacting with cell surface components and also promotes neurite outgrowth. Laminin has been shown to bind sulfatide. The interaction of sulfated glycolipids SGGL-1 and SGGL-2 with laminin was studied by employing a solid-phase radioimmunoassay and by HPTLC-immunoblotting. Laminin binding was detected with anti-laminin antibodies followed by 125I-labelled Protein A and autoradiography. Laminin binds SGGL-1 and SGGL-2, besides sulfatide, but does not bind significantly gangliosides and neutral glycolipids. The binding of SGGLs to laminin was two to three times less compared to sulfatide when compared on a molar basis. Desulfation of SGGLs and sulfatide by mild acid treatment resulted in abolition of laminin binding. On the other hand, chemical modification of glucuronic acid moiety by either esterification or reduction of the carboxyl group had no effect. This showed that the sulfate group was essential for laminin binding. Of the various glycosaminoglycans tested, only heparin inhibited the binding of laminin to SGGLs and sulfatide in a dose-dependent manner. This indicated that SGGLs and sulfatide bind to the heparin binding site present in the laminin molecule. The availability of HNK-1 reactive glycolipids and glycoproteins such as SGGLs and several neural cell adhesion molecules to bind laminin at critical stages of neural development may serve as important physiological signals.