Identification of Mycoplasma iowae by colony immunoblotting utilizing monoclonal antibodies

The utility of monoclonal antibody Mab-2C in identification of Mycoplasma iowae (MI) by colony immunoblotting technique was explored. Colony immunoblots of reference MI strains, field isolates, and mycoplasmas recovered from experimentally inoculated turkey embryos were probed with Mab-2C. The monoclonal antibody identified colonies of all the MI isolates tested and did not cross-react with colonies of M. gallisepticum, M. synoviae, or M. meleagridis. In western immunoblots of 22 MI field isolates, Mab-2C showed immunoreactivity with an antigen of approximately 45 kD molecular weight. No phenotypic variation of the epitope recognized by Mab-2C was observed in colony immunoblots of MI colonies. The monoclonal antibody reported here can be used for identification of MI colonies by a simple and rapid colony immunoblot method.