The ionophore lasalocid A forms 1:1 complexes with phenethylamines (1-amino-1-phenylethane and 1-amino-2-phenylethane) and catecholamines (dopamine and norepinephrine) in nonpolar solution. We have undertaken high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies to deduce structural and kinetic information on the ionophore-biogenic amine complexes in chloroform solution. The coupling constant, chemical shift, and relaxation time data demonstrate that the lasalocid backbone conformation and the primary amine binding sites in the complexes are similar to those determined earlier for the alkali and alkaline earth complexes of this ionophore in solution. The exchange of lasalocid between the free acid (HX) and the primary amine complexes (RNH3X) in chloroform solution have been evaluated from the temperaturedependent line shapes at superconducting fields. The kinetic parameters associated with the unimolecular dissociation (RNH3X T RNH2 + HX) and the bimolecular exchange k2 (RNH3X + HX* RNH3X* + HX) reactions have been deduced from an analysis of the lifetime of the complex as a function of the reactant concentrations. The relative stability of the complex decreases in the order phenyl > n-pentyl for substituents on the carbon a to the amino group (1-amino-l-phenylethane and 2-aminoheptane) and phenyl > 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl for substituents on the carbon # to the amino group (l-amino-2-phenylethane and dopamine). These results suggest that nonpolar interactions between the biogenic amine side chain and the lasalocid molecule contribute to the stability of the complex in solution. Lasalocid A [see Fig. 1, for chemical sequence (1) and revised numbering system (2)] belongs to the family of linear carboxylic polyether antibiotics that transport alkali ions across membranes (5, 6). The backbone of these ionophores adopts a folded head-to-tail conformation stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the carboxylic and hydroxyl groups (refs. 5 and 6 and the references therein). The ionophores complex the alkali ions through their hydroxyl, ether, carbonyl, and carboxylate groups, resulting in a hydrophobic exterior which facilitates the transport of metal ions across membranes. The conformation of lasalocid resembles a flat disc with a polar and a nonpolar face (7-10), and it differs from the other carboxylic polyether antibiotics of larger dimensions which can form polar cavities for metal ion coordination. This permits the polar face of lasalocid to coordinate ions with different radii and charges, including alkali, alkaline earth (3,4,(11)(12)(13)(14), rare earth (15), and transition (16) metal ions as well as amines (17). The alkali and alkaline earth ions are sandwiched between the polar faces of two lasalocid anions in nonpolar solution (3, 12, 13) and in crystals grown from the same medium (7-10). By contrast, monomeric structures, in which the metal ion chelates to the polar face of one lasalocid anion and solvent, are observed in polar media (4,14).A number of biological studies have implica...