A replication initiation gene was identified and its nucleotide sequence has been determined from a 3.8 kb, chloramphenicol acethyltransferase conferring R-plasmid pSBK203 of Staphylococcus aures. Location of the replication related region of pSBK 203 was determined by interuption with pUC 119 at XBaI and MspI sites which resulted in inactivation of replication in Bacilius subtilis. Base sequence of this region revealed on open reading frame of 942 base pairs, which encoded a 314 amino acid protein. Base sequence homology with other rep of pT181 family plasmids such as pT181, pC221, pC223, pS194, pU112, and pCW7 was ranged from 78% to 97% and the predicted amino acid sequence homology was from 72% to 95%.