In this study forty isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were recorded from burn patients admitted to West Emergency Hospital in Erbil city. Isolates from burn samples were identified using cultural, morphological, biochemica1 tests. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed for all isolates using l4 types of antibiotics including Ampicillin (AMP), Chloramphenicol (C), Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (AMC), Cefotaxime (CTX), Penicillin (P), Aztreonam (ATM), Meropenem (MEM), Tobramycin (TOB), Gentamycin (CN), Amikacin (AK), Ciprofloxacillin (CIP), Ceftazidim (CAZ), Tetracycline (TE) and Imipenem (IMP). The antibiotic imipenem was the most effective against P. aeruginosa isolates. The resistance rates of the isolates to these antibiotics were l00% for AMP, CTX, P, AMC, and C. For ATM 32.5%, for MEM 42.5%, for TOB, AK and CN 45%, for CIP 62.5%, for CAZ 67.5%, and for TE 80%. The plasmid profile of 5 antibiotic-resistant isolates (Pl, P3, Pl3, P29 and P38) were screened, results showed a single band with a molecu1ar weight more than l0 kb for a1l 5 isolates. Moreover five isolates (Pl, P3, Pl3, P29, and P38) were chosen for the transformation process and the identification of antibiotic resistance genes, using 1aboratory strain Escherichia coli DH5-α with plasmid DNA purified from these isolates. The transformation process was completed successfully, and the results revealed that the resistance genes for (Amikacin, Ampicillin, Cefotaxime, Tobramycin, Gentamycin, Chloramphenico1, Amoxicillin- cluvanic acid, Ciprofloxacin, Tetracycline, Penicillin, Ceftazidime, Azetreonam, and Merpenem) 1ocated on plasmid DNA for Pl isolate, whi1e for P3 (Amoxicillin- cluvanic acid, Ampicillin, Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, Merpenem, Tobramycin, Chloramphenicol, Gentamycin, Tetracycline, Cefotaxime, and Penicillin) 1ocated on plasmid DNA. On other hand the resistant genes for (Amoxicillin- cluvanic acid, Ampicillin, Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, Tobramycin, Chloramphenico1, Gentamycin, Tetracycline, Cefotaxime, and Penicillin) were located on plasmid DNA for Pl3. Moreover (Amoxicillin- cluvanic acid, Ampicillin, Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin Merpenem, Tobramycin, Chloramphenicol, Gentamycin, Tetracycline, Cefotaxime, and Penicillin) for P29 were located on plasmid DNA, lastly for the P38 the resistant genes were located on plasmid for (Amikacin, Ampicillin, Cefotaxime, Tobramycin, Gentamycin, Chloramphenicol, Amoxicillin- cluvanic acid, Ciprofloxacin, Tetracycline, Penicillin, Ceftazidime, Azetreonam, and Merpenem). Transformation results confirmed by gel electrophoresis and demonstrated that plasmids (Pl, P3, Pl3, P29, and P38) had been successfully transformed.

Keywords: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burns, Antibiotics, Antibiotic resistance Plasmid DNA, Transformation.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.24086/biohs2022/paper.538