A BamHI-BamHI 8.0 kb DNA fragment which contains midecamycin propionyltransferase (mpt) gene was digested with different restriction enzymes and the restriction map was made. The mpt gene was localized in a EcoRI-EcoRI-PstI3.0 kb DNA fragment by Southern blot analysis using a 2.4 kb DNA fragment of the CarE gene as a probe. The 3.0 kb DNA fragment of mpt gene was cloned into E. coli/Streptomyces shuttle vector pWHM3 and a recombinant plasmid pWFPE was obtained. S. ambofaciens(pWFPE) and S. lividans(pWFPE) can convert endogenously synthesized or exogenously added spiramycin into 4"-O-propionylspiramycin, respectively. Sequence analysis of mpt gene demonstrated an open reading frame in the EcoRI-EcoRI-PstI3.0 kb DNA fragment, which starts with ATG and ends with TGA. Mpt gene encodes a product of 388 aa. G+C mol% of mpt is 68.0 and G+C mol% of 3rd codon position is 91.5. The putative product of mpt has a identity of 67.6% and a similarity of 86.4% with CarE product. A consensus RBS GAGGT in the 6bp upstream from ATG and a promoter region were found. An inverted repeat sequence in the downstream from TGA acts as transcriptional terminator.