Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against midgut of ixodid tick,Haemaphysalis longicornis

There are concerted efforts toward development of tick vaccines to replace current chemical control strategies that have serious limitations [Parasitologia 32 (1990) 145; Infectious Disease Clinics of North America (1999) 209-226]. In this study, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to Haemaphysalis longicornis midgut proteins were produced and characterized. Eight antibody-secreting hybridomas were cloned and the mAbs typed as IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b. On immunoblots, all mAbs reacted with a midgut protein band of about 76 kDa. All mAbs uniformly immunogold-stained the surface or epithelial layers of H. longicornis midgut and endosomes. Adult ticks (50%) that fed on an ascitic mouse producing the IgGs developed a red coloration and did not oviposit. As such, the 76 kDa protein that reacted with the mAbs could, therefore, be a potential candidate for tick vaccine development.