ABCA7 / Phospholipid-transporting ATPase ABCA7 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for ABCA7

Plan ABCA7 IHC in paraffin sections using tissue controls, consistent fixation and chromogenic detection. Bone marrow hematopoietic cells show high staining (HPA tissue IHC); the catalog antibody A03163 starts at 5 μg/mL for IHC (datasheet: A03163).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for ABCA7 (IHC for ABCA7): expected localisation Cytoplasm in bone marrow and immune cell subsets (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A03163, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable ABCA7 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasm in bone marrow and immune cell subsets (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A03163, controls and protocol steps. Open the full ABCA7 IHC guide →

ABCA7 Immunohistochemistry Experimental Design Guide

Expected localisation, validated protocols, controls and antibodies — the at-a-glance facts below, then the full design guide.

Must know before staining
Expected localisation Cytoplasm in bone marrow and immune cell subsets (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic staining in marrow and immune cell subsets (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen)
Positive control ⓘ Bone marrow+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+4 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image A03163)
Caveat Presumed off-target binding may mimic positive staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Enriched in myelo-lymphatic tissues (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 2 isoforms; check epitope coverage across extracellular and cytoplasmic regions (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended ABCA7 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is paired with a published ABCA7 protocol for paraffin-embedded ovarian tumor specimens (PMC6176408).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleTissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A03163); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-ABCA7, 5 μg/mL (datasheet A03163)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (standard)
DetectionHRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultABCA7-positive staining in hematopoietic cells of bone marrow (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in bone marrow and in subsets of immune cells in several tissues. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with citrate pH 6.0 retrieval for 20 min at 95–98 °C (page antigen-retrieval rule); the published protocol used 10 min at 95 °C (PMC6176408).
Section 2

What Is the Expected ABCA7 Staining Pattern?

ABCA7 is a 15-pass membrane protein with reported cell membrane, Golgi, endosomal and cytoplasmic locations (UniProt Q8IZY2 topology and subcellular location). In paraffin-section IHC, expect cytoplasmic staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells and subsets of immune cells; ciliary rootlets can also stain strongly (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates its tissue profile Enhanced, while noting medium consistency with RNA data and presumed off-target binding that was disregarded (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Strong staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells, concentrated within the cell body.This fits HPA's High staining level and cytoplasmic tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). Score the named cells and their compartment; a positive field alone does not establish that every cell is positive (HPA tissue IHC).
Distinct staining at ciliary rootlets in fallopian tube or nasopharynx.Both are reported as High in ciliated cells specifically at ciliary rootlets (HPA tissue IHC). Record the restricted rootlet pattern rather than calling the entire ciliated cell uniformly positive (HPA tissue IHC).
Predominantly nuclear staining in otherwise expected positive cells.A nuclear dominant pattern is discordant with the reported cytoplasmic tissue pattern and membrane-associated locations (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8IZY2 subcellular location). Treat it as suspect and compare controls before scoring it as ABCA7 (standard IHC practice).
Strong staining in adipocytes across adipose tissue or breast.HPA reports ABCA7 as Not detected in these adipocytes (HPA tissue IHC). Check for cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity; an unexpected positive cell type needs independent support before interpretation (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
No detectable signal in bone marrow hematopoietic cells.That conflicts with the reported High IHC level (HPA tissue IHC). First assess section quality, retrieval and detection with appropriate controls; a blank slide by itself cannot distinguish a technical failure from a specimen difference (standard IHC practice).
💡Expected ABCA7 appearanceCall a section positive when hematopoietic cells show clear cytoplasmic staining at the reported High level, or ciliated cells show discrete rootlet staining; broad nuclear signal or strong adipocyte staining is suspect (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8IZY2 subcellular location).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell and tissue selectionBone marrow hematopoietic cells are High, splenic red-pulp cells Medium, and lung macrophages Low; use the reported cell population when judging a result (HPA tissue IHC). A weak lung macrophage signal should not be judged against the bone marrow level (HPA tissue IHC).
Compartment and cell stateResting macrophages are reported mainly cytoplasmic, probably in Golgi and endosomes; stimulation with C1q or apoptotic cells can shift ABCA7 to membrane ruffles and phagocytic cups (UniProt Q8IZY2 subcellular location). Interpret a localized membrane pattern in that context, while using HPA's cytoplasmic tissue profile for routine IHC (HPA tissue IHC).
Topology and epitope locationABCA7 has 15 transmembrane segments and two annotated extracellular regions (UniProt Q8IZY2 topology). The supplied record gives no antibody epitope, so it cannot predict this antibody's access after retrieval or permeabilisation (UniProt Q8IZY2 topology; supplied HPA antibody record).
Isoforms and protein processingTwo isoforms are annotated, and the supplied record lists one chain spanning residues 1–2146, with no signal peptide or propeptide annotation (UniProt Q8IZY2 isoforms and processing). Antibody recognition of either isoform is unspecified; do not infer isoform-specific staining or cleavage from these annotations (UniProt Q8IZY2; supplied HPA antibody record).
Strength of the IHC referenceHPA lists HPA041564 as IHC Enhanced, but its tissue summary reports medium agreement with RNA data and presumed off-target binding that was disregarded (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC). Use the named positive cells and negative comparators together when assessing an unexpected pattern (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Bone marrow hematopoietic cells are blank.Target-specific fixation effects are not established by the supplied assay evidence. Verify with a matched IHC source before attributing a result to fixation.Check tissue preservation, retrieval, primary-antibody incubation and chromogenic detection against run controls; repeat with an appropriate positive section if needed (standard IHC practice).
The whole section has diffuse brown background.Nonspecific reagent binding, incomplete blocking or excessive chromogen development can obscure a cell-restricted pattern (standard IHC practice).Compare a primary-omission control, review blocking and washes, and adjust detection development according to the assay controls (standard IHC practice).
Unexpected strong staining appears in adipocytes or another reported negative cell population.Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible; adipocytes in adipose tissue and breast are Not detected in HPA IHC (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).Inspect primary-omission and relevant endogenous-activity controls, then compare the same run with bone marrow hematopoietic cells before assigning specificity (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
The main signal is nuclear, with little staining in expected cytoplasmic cells.The compartment disagrees with HPA's cytoplasmic tissue pattern and UniProt's membrane and organelle locations (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8IZY2 subcellular location).Check counterstain and detection controls, then score nuclear signal separately as unexpected until independently supported (standard IHC practice).
Ciliated cells stain broadly, but the rootlets cannot be resolved.HPA specifies High staining at ciliary rootlets in fallopian tube and nasopharynx; broad staining alone does not reproduce that localization (HPA tissue IHC).Review morphology and a suitably resolved field before calling the pattern concordant; document the compartment actually visible (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Q: Should IF/ICC show the same pattern as paraffin-section IHC?The assays use different sample preparations, and HPA reports supported plasma membrane, Golgi and additional cell-junction localization in ICC-IF (HPA subcellular).A: Interpret IF/ICC on its own guide page using those supported compartments; do not require every IHC-positive cell to show an identical IF/ICC pattern (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC).

Sample controls for ABCA7 IHC & IF

🧪Run bone marrow first and score staining in hematopoietic cells (High; HPA: bone marrow); use adipose tissue adipocytes as the negative comparator (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes). On the positive slide, morphologically nonhematopoietic cells should show background-level staining, but their ABCA7 status must be verified rather than assumed (HPA: positivity specified for hematopoietic cells only).
Positive control tissue: Bone marrow (Hematopoietic cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show ABCA7 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Golgi apparatus (supported), Plasma membrane (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a control immunoglobulin matched to the primary antibody’s host and class (or normal host IgG for a polyclonal primary); confirm specificity with ABCA7-knockout material or an immunizing-peptide block if available (standard IHC practice). In bone marrow, block endogenous peroxidase and check for pigment-related background before scoring chromogenic signal (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported in the supplied evidence; the A03163 spleen IHC caption reports 5 µg/mL but does not state a fixative (selected-SKU caption). Antigen-retrieval dependence is unreported, so optimize retrieval on the positive bone marrow control; the evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF/ICC are easier than paraffin IHC (HPA: High in bone marrow hematopoietic cells; HPA: ICC-IF images in A-431, U-251MG and U2OS). Bone marrow pigment or endogenous peroxidase can complicate chromogenic interpretation (standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for ABCA7

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Presumed off target binding observed and disregarded.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.

Positive expression · recommended positive controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Fallopian tube Ciliated cells (ciliary rootlets) High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Nasopharynx Ciliated cells (ciliary rootlets) High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Placenta Decidual cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Spleen Cells in red pulp Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Cells in granular layer Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Endothelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced ABCA7 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot ABCA7 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell type, compartment and controls before comparing signal across samples.

How should I retrieve ABCA7 in paraffin sections when staining is weak?
Start with citrate buffer at pH 6.0, heated to 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen). Cool sections consistently, then compare a small retrieval time series while holding antibody concentration and detection conditions constant (standard IHC practice). Include spleen or bone marrow as an expression-informed comparison tissue, while accounting for differences among cell populations (UniProt Q8IZY2 tissue specificity; HPA: medium staining in spleen red pulp and high staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells). If signal remains weak, test an alternative retrieval condition as a fallback and check whether staining gains the expected cytoplasmic or membrane distribution (UniProt Q8IZY2 localisation; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain loss of ABCA7 staining in my paraffin sections?
ABCA7-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the spleen image caption reports 5 µg/mL antibody but does not state a fixative (A03163 tissue-IHC caption). Record fixation conditions, processing time and section age for each specimen, then compare sections processed together before changing retrieval or antibody concentration (standard IHC practice). Use a matched positive comparison section and a no-primary control to distinguish reduced staining from detection background (HPA: high staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells; standard IHC practice). Avoid attributing a fixation effect to ABCA7 merely because its reported locations include membrane and intracellular compartments (UniProt Q8IZY2 localisation).
Which ABCA7 staining pattern should count as plausible in tissue?
Assess staining by cell type and compartment rather than counting every brown deposit as ABCA7 (standard IHC practice). Cytoplasmic staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells and subsets of immune cells is consistent with the tissue profile (HPA: cytoplasmic tissue-IHC profile). Membrane or perinuclear patterns can also be plausible because ABCA7 is reported at the plasma membrane, Golgi, endosomes and endoplasmic reticulum (UniProt Q8IZY2 localisation; HPA: supported plasma-membrane and Golgi localisation). In macrophages, a change toward ruffles or phagocytic cups may depend on stimulation, so evaluate that pattern with cell identity and specimen context in view (UniProt Q8IZY2 macrophage localisation).
How do isoforms and epitope position affect ABCA7 IHC interpretation?
Check the catalog antibody’s stated immunogen or epitope before comparing staining across specimens; its epitope is not supplied here (standard IHC practice; supplied antibody evidence). ABCA7 has 2 annotated isoforms, with isoform 1 strongly expressed in brain and bone marrow and isoform 2 abundant in lymph node, spleen, thymus and trachea (UniProt Q8IZY2 isoforms and tissue specificity). Its 15 transmembrane segments and large extracellular regions make epitope position relevant to retrieval and antibody access, although neither predicts this antibody’s staining performance (UniProt Q8IZY2 topology; standard IHC practice). Treat differences among tissues as possible cell-composition, isoform or assay effects until epitope coverage and specificity are established (UniProt Q8IZY2 isoforms; standard IHC practice).
How can I adapt ABCA7 localisation checks to multiplex immunofluorescence?
Use IF as a separate optimisation and pair ABCA7 with a marker identifying the expected immune-cell population in the specimen (UniProt Q8IZY2 tissue specificity; standard IF practice). Choose a far-red channel for weak ABCA7 signal when tissue autofluorescence affects shorter wavelengths, and inspect single-stain and no-primary controls before interpreting overlap (standard IF practice). Match permeabilisation to the verified epitope: an intracellular-facing epitope requires access through the membrane, whereas an extracellular-facing epitope can be assessed with gentler access conditions (UniProt Q8IZY2 topology; standard IF practice). The epitope side and IF performance of the catalog antibody are unspecified here, so optimise permeabilisation without assuming its paraffin IHC result transfers to IF (A03163 tissue-IHC caption; supplied antibody evidence).
What should I change when ABCA7 chromogenic staining has high background?
Run a no-primary section and inspect whether brown signal follows the tissue, the section edge or an endogenous pigment before changing antibody concentration (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase for an HRP–DAB workflow, use an appropriate protein block, and wash consistently after primary and secondary incubations (standard chromogenic IHC practice). If background persists, titrate the primary around the reported 5 µg/mL spleen-image concentration while keeping retrieval and exposure comparable (A03163 tissue-IHC caption; standard IHC practice). Interpret diffuse staining cautiously because the tissue atlas reports presumed off-target binding that was disregarded in its ABCA7 assessment (HPA: Enhanced reliability description).
How should I quantify ABCA7 staining across tissue samples? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, then apply the same threshold, field selection and DAB development conditions to every section (standard IHC practice). For a defined population, report the percentage of positive cells and an H-score based on intensity; for dispersed immune cells, positive-cell density per mm² can be more informative (standard IHC practice). Normalise cell counts to the corresponding viable tissue area and report staining within the identified cell population when its abundance varies between samples (standard IHC practice). Keep spleen red-pulp cells and bone marrow hematopoietic cells separate in analyses because their reported staining levels differ (HPA: medium in spleen red pulp; high in bone marrow hematopoietic cells).
How can I distinguish true ABCA7 signal from tissue artefact?
Give greatest weight to staining in an expected cell population with a plausible cytoplasmic, membrane or Golgi-associated pattern (HPA: tissue-IHC profile and supported subcellular localisation; standard IHC practice). Bone marrow hematopoietic cells provide a reported high-staining comparison, whereas spleen red-pulp cells show medium staining (HPA: bone marrow and spleen tissue-IHC entries). Reconsider isolated nuclear deposits, strong section-edge staining or staining confined to necrotic regions, and compare them with no-primary and peroxidase-block controls (UniProt Q8IZY2 localisation; standard IHC practice). Interpret apparent positives conservatively because the tissue atlas notes presumed off-target binding, and corroborate unexpected cell types or compartments with an independent specificity control (HPA: Enhanced reliability description; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best ABCA7 / Phospholipid-transporting ATPase ABCA7 IHC Antibodies

Both antibodies have human tissue IHC images; A03163 also has IF/ICC images in 293 cells and human spleen (catalog image captions). Listed reactivity spans human, mouse and rat (catalog reactivity).

Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry of ABCA7 in human spleen tissue with ABCA7 antibody at 5 μg/mL.
Anti-ABCA7 Antibody
Cat # A03163
Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyzes of ABCA7 pAb in paraffin-embedded human colon carcinoma tissue at 1:50,showing membrane staining.Negative control (the right)Using PBS instead of primary antibody, secondary antibody is Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG-biotin followed by avidin-peroxidase.
Anti-ABCA7 Antibody
Cat # A03163-2

A03163 renders with human spleen IHC at 5 μg/mL and has fluorescence images in 293 cells and human spleen (A03163 image captions). A03163-2 renders with paraffin-embedded human colon carcinoma IHC at 1:50, showing membrane staining and a PBS-for-primary control (A03163-2 IHC image caption).

Which to pick: For human tissue IHC, A03163 has an IHC-P listing and a human spleen image at 5 μg/mL (A03163 applications and IHC image caption). For paraffin sections, A03163-2 shows human colon carcinoma staining at 1:50; the fixative is unreported (A03163-2 IHC image caption). Choose A03163 for IF/ICC based on its application list and fluorescence images; A03163-2 lists mouse and rat reactivity for cross-species IHC, although its supplied IHC images show human tissue only (catalog applications, reactivity and image captions).

Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q8IZY2 (ABCA7_HUMAN, Phospholipid-transporting ATPase ABCA7).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. ABCA7 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. ABCA7 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the plasma membrane and the Golgi apparatus. In addition localized to the cell junctions..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. ABCA7 antibody validation summary (1 antibodies).
  5. ATP-binding cassette transporter A7 accelerates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in ovarian cancer cells by upregulating the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway. Oncology letters 2018 — PMC6176408.
  6. ATP-binding cassette transporters ABCA1, ABCA7, and ABCG1 in mouse spermatozoa. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2008 — PMC2976870.
  7. Microglial glycolytic reprogramming in alzheimer's disease: association with impaired phagocytic function and altered vascular proximity. Journal of neuroinflammation 2025 — PMC12492836.
  8. ABCA7-dependent induction of neuropeptide Y is required for synaptic resilience in Alzheimer's disease through BDNF/NGFR signaling. Cell genomics 2024 — PMC11480862.
  9. PubMed PMID:10873640 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:11095984 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:11355874 — UniProt-cited evidence.