Experiments were carried out to elucidate the specific interactions between host plant, Phaseolus vulgaris, and symbiotic bacteria, Rhizobium Phaseoli. Purified P. vulgaris lectins and six species of cultured Rhizobium were subjected to agglutination test. Lectins from bean and R. phaseoli showed relatively high agglutination activity indicating that host plant lectins recognize carbohydrate moieties on the compatible Rhizobium cell surface. The specific carbohydrate receptors for binding of the lectins on the cell surface of R. phaseoli were found as mannose and galactose. The minimum concentration of sugars for the inhibition was 6.25mM. The lectin content of cultured plant roots was measured after germination and was maximum in 5-day seedlings. The nodulation was competitively inhibited by lectins for the plants cultured with Rhizobium cells. By immunochemical studies, there was some relationship in antigenic determinants between R. phaseoli and R. japonicum but no relationships were observed with other Rhizobium species. The results suggest that the infection by rhizobia to the roots of leguminous plants may be caused by the specific interaction of lectins with rhizobia.