Affinities of 14 thiamin derivatives or antagonists to a thiamin-binding protein isolated from buckwheat seeds were determined. A competitive displacement of radiolabeled thiamin by unlabeled ligand was analysed by a computerized model-fitting procedure. The dissociation constant of the thiamin-protein complex was 0.93 microM. Most modifications in ligand chemical structure weakened the ligand-protein interaction. A model of the thiamin-binding site is suggested. The hydroxyethyl-chain of thiamin while protein-bound appears to be excluded from the binding region. A positively charged quaternary nitrogen atom of the thiazolium ring probably interacts with some negative group(s) of protein. The rest of the thiazolium ring as well as the amino group of the pyrimidine fragment serve as additional anchors. The three structural features of the thiamin molecule accounting for binding contribute equally to overall binding energy by about 11-12 kJ/mol.