Although the specificity of this lectin is not well defined, MAL II appears to bind only particular carbohydrate structures that contain sialic acid. Unlike Sambucus nigra lectin (SNA) which seems to prefer structures with (α-2,6) linked sialic acid, MAL II appears to bind sialic acid in an (α-2,3) linkage. Tissue staining patterns are also very different among MAL I, SNA and MAL II.