MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF PLASMIDS CARRYING AMPC Β-LACTAMASES (AMPCs) AND EXTENDED-SPECTRUM Β-LACTAMASE (ESBLs) GENES USING HYBRID GENOME ASSEMBLY ANALYSIS.

To improve the ambiguity that short-read data often gives for plasmids genetic elements characterization, the hybrid assembly of whole genome sequences (WGS) belonging to Escherichia coli strains obtained by using two different platforms, namely Illumina for short reads sequencing (Miseq system) and Oxford Nanopore for long reads (MinON device) was performed. These bacteria were isolated from poultry and showed phenotypic resistance to Extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs), antimicrobials used as last-resort drugs to treat humans and animals infected by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. The main objective of this study was to comprehend their genetic makeup by characterizing the plasmids carrying extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) genes and plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases (pAmpCs) resistance. To this aim, the resistance and virulence genes repertoire of each plasmid was determined. Furthermore, to perform a comparative analysis, plasmid assemblies were screened against NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) BLAST service.