ABSTRACT. A 39 kDa protein of avian Pasteurella multocida strain P-1059 (serovar A:3) was purified from a crude capsular extract by immunoaffinity chromatography by using a ligand of purified mouse monoclonal antibody to the 39 kDa capsular protein of the strain. Protective activity of the purified 39 kDa protein antigen was determined by inoculation of ddY mice twice with 25 or 125 µg of the protein and challenge-exposure with 10 or 50 LD 50 of strains P-1059 or X-73 (serovar A:1). The results showed that the antigen gave high protection (60 to 100%). These results indicated that the 39 kDa protein of avian P. multocida is a cross-protective antigen over serovars A:1 and A:3. KEY WORDS: active cross-protection, avian Pasteurella multocida, 39 kDa capsular protein.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 66(12): 1603-1604, 2004 Fowl cholera, typically an acute septicemic disease of many avian species, is caused mainly by Pasteurella multocida serovars A:1, A:3 and A:3•4 [6]. Despite extensive vaccination efforts, the disease often causes marked economic loss in the poultry industry. Commercial vaccines for control of the disease contain P. multocida bacterins or liveattenuated bacteria. Neverthless, the failure of bacterins to protect the birds against heterologous challenge [11] and outbreaks of fowl cholera caused by vaccination with liveattenuated vaccine strains [6,7] have been hampering vaccine development. In our previous study [1], monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) to a 39 kDa capsular protein of avian P. multocida strain P-1059 (serovar A:3) were produced and characterized. Two representative Mabs (HAA1 and HAA3) showed high protective activity in mice immunized passively with the Mabs and challenge-exposed with the strains of serovars A:1 and A:3. In the present study we attempted to purify the 39 kDa antigen with Mab HAA3 and to determine the protective activity of the antigen in mice.A large amount of Mab HAA3 was produced in a growth medium and in pristane (2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane; Sigma Chemicals Co., MO, U.S.A.) primed BALB/c mice. Antibodies from the growth medium were purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and antibodies of ascitic fluids were collected and purified by affinity chromatography through Affi-gel protein A (MAPII kit; Bio-Rad Laboratories, CA, U.S.A.). Prior to the coupling procedure antibodies were dialyzed against 0.1 M HEPES (Sigma) buffer (pH 8.0) and then concentrated. Targeted antigen was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography. Affi-gel-10 (Bio-Rad) was used for matrix support. Purified Mab HAA3 was coupled with the gel as described by the manufacturer. A crude capsular extract (CCE) of strain P-1059 [13] was passed through the column at 4°C, overnight. The antigen was eluted with 0.1 M glycine (pH 2.2) and the pH was neutralized by addition of 0.1 M Tris-HCl buffer (pH 9.0) and dialyzed against 0.02 M PBS (pH 7.2). The antigen was concentrated by ultra-filtration with a diaflomembrane of PM 10 (M.W. cut-off 10,000; Millipore Corp., MA, U.S.A.) and verified by SDS-PAGE analysis. To collect...