Key Laboratory of Animal Lemology, Ministry of Agriculture/College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University 225009,China.

AIM: To prepare monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against the hemagglutinin(HA) of H9 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV). METHODS: 8 week-old female BALB/c mice were immunized with the inactivated vaccine of H9 subtype of AIV. Splenocytes from the immunized mice were fused with Sp2/0 myeloma cells, and positive hybridoma clones were screened by indirect ELISA and hemagglutination inhibition test (HI). The specificity of the mAb was characterized by ELISA, HI test, indirect immunofluorescence (IF) staining and Western blot. RESULTS: Three hybridoma cell lines named 2H1, 2A3 and 1C8 against HA of AIV H9 were obtained. The HI titers of 3 mAbs were 1x2(8)-1x2(13), and the ELISA titers were 1x10(-7), 1x10(-5) and 5x10(-6), respectively. The immunoglobulin subclass of all 3 mAbs was IgG1. Western blot analysis confirmed that mAb 2H1 could recognize HA and reacted to 31 out of 32 isolates of H9 subtype of AIV. CONCLUSION: Three mAbs recognizing HA of H9 subtype of AIV were obtained, which may provide an useful tool for the antigenic analysis, the serological diagnosis, the epidemiological survey and the evaluation of AIV vaccine.