Plasmid sharing between animal and human gut microbiome and disease-associated pathogens

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae is one of WHO priority pathogens. It is vital to understand where and how these pathogens acquire ESBL genes, and what causes some variants to be more widespread. Plasmids are the main carriers of these genes and can lead to their global spread via horizontal gene transfer. However, the reservoir, the role and the biology of conjugative ESBL plasmids are less understood in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam, where the burden of ESBL is high. In this study, we characterised the main groups of conjugative ESBL plasmids acquired by Enterobacteriaceae pathogens and studied the role of human gut microbiome (HGM) as the potential reservoir for these plasmids in Vietnam. We sequenced 68 conjugative ESBL plasmids isolated from human gut microbiome with Illumina short-read sequencing. Nanopore long-read sequencing was also done to confirm the complete plasmid sequences.