The acid-base properties of ionophore A23187 in methanol-water solutions (0--95% w/w) and bound to unilamellar vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine were examined by ultraviolet and fluorescence spectroscopy, and the spectral properties for the acidic and basic forms were defined under these conditions. Standard mixed-solvent buffers were employed to calibrate pH measurement in the methanol-water solvents. In 65% methanol-water, two protonation equilibria were observed, the most basic of which displayed a value for the logarithm of the protonation constant (log KH) of 7.19 +/- 0.05 at 25 degrees C and 0.05 M ionic strength. Instability of A23187 was encountered below pH approximately 4; however, decomposition was slow enough to allow log KH for the more acidic equilibrium to be estimated as 1.28. Comparison of these results to those obtained with the methyl ester of A23187 (log KH = 1.32) and literature values for other model compounds allowed assignment of the more basic equilibrium to the carboxylic acid moiety and the more acidic one to the N-methylamino substituent of the benzoxazole ring. log KH of the carboxylic acid increased from 5.69 +/- 0.05 to 9.37 +/- 0.05 over the range of solvent polarity encompassed by water to 95% methanol-water. Values for the ground state (absorption) and first excited state (fluorescence) were equal within experimental error. The logarithm of the protonation constant for the membrane-bound ionophore, measured under conditions where the surface potential generated by ionization did not significantly alter the equilibrium, was found to be 7.85 +/- 0.05 at 25 degrees C and at ionic strength of 0.05 M in the aqueous phase. The value agrees with that observed in 80% methanol-water, as does the wavelength of maximum fluorescence emission for the membrane-bound free acid. An interfacial location for the monoprotonated form of the benzoxazolate moiety is proposed, both above and below the membrane phase transition temperature. The location of other regions of the A23187 molecule could not be assessed from these data.