ABCC3 / ATP-binding cassette sub-family C member 3 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for ABCC3

This IHC-P guide covers membranous and cytoplasmic ABCC3 staining in glandular tissues (HPA tissue IHC). Start with the catalog antibody at 2–5 μg/ml (datasheet A02429-1), and assess membrane staining against the expected basolateral location (UniProt).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for ABCC3 (IHC for ABCC3): expected localisation Membranous and cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A02429-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable ABCC3 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Membranous and cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A02429-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full ABCC3 IHC guide →

ABCC3 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 Membranous and cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Membranous and cytoplasmic staining in glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A02429-1)
Positive control ⓘ Adrenal gland+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+4 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Keep fixation consistent across matched paraffin sections. (selected-SKU IHC image A02429-1)
Caveat Liver RNA enrichment may not yield cholangiocyte staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation No staining-linked regulator specified (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 5 isoforms; check extracellular versus cytoplasmic epitope (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended ABCC3 IHC & IF Protocols

Compare the catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet A02429-1) with three published ABCC3 IHC methods (PMC8868318; PMC11145118; PMC11450052).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human appendiceal adenocarcinoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A02429-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A02429-1); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A02429-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A02429-1)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-ABCC3, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A02429-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A02429-1)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A02429-1)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultABCC3-positive staining in glandular cells of adrenal gland (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Membranous and cytoplasmic expression in several tissues including adrenal gland, gastrointestinal tract and gallbladder. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with EDTA pH 8.0 heat retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet A02429-1). Use citrate pH 6 when reproducing the methods that specify it (PMC8868318; PMC11450052).
Section 2

What Is the Expected ABCC3 Staining Pattern?

ABCC3 is a 17-transmembrane transporter at the basolateral or basal cell membrane (UniProt O15438 topology and subcellular location). In paraffin-section IHC, expect membrane-enriched staining in appropriate epithelial or glandular cells, with possible cytoplasmic staining (HPA: membranous and cytoplasmic tissue profile). HPA reports high glandular-cell staining in adrenal gland, appendix, colon, gallbladder and rectum (HPA: tissue IHC). Its tissue profile is rated Enhanced, with medium consistency between staining and RNA data (HPA: reliability).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Membrane-enriched staining in glandular cells of colon or gallbladder, with some cytoplasmic staining (HPA: High glandular cells; membranous and cytoplasmic profile).This fits the reported tissue pattern. In polarized intestinal epithelium, a basolateral bias is consistent with ABCC3 location (UniProt O15438: basolateral enterocyte membrane). Assess the membrane signal and cell identity together; cytoplasmic staining can coexist with the reported membrane pattern (HPA: tissue IHC profile).
Predominantly nuclear staining, with little convincing membrane signal (UniProt O15438: cell-membrane location; HPA: tissue IHC profile).This is a compartment mismatch and warrants investigation as possible artefact. Review the counterstain, chromogen deposits and secondary-only control before assigning the signal to ABCC3 (standard IHC practice). The supplied sources do not describe nuclear ABCC3 localization (UniProt O15438; HPA: subcellular summary).
Prominent staining in adipocytes or liver cholangiocytes (HPA: Not detected in these specified cell types).This conflicts with the HPA observations for those cells; consider cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). The liver entry concerns cholangiocytes specifically and does not establish that every liver cell should be negative (HPA: liver cholangiocytes Not detected; UniProt O15438: liver expression).
Diffuse staining across cells and section background, without a clear cellular boundary (HPA: membrane-enriched tissue profile).Treat the distribution as uninterpretable until section-wide background is resolved. Check a no-primary or secondary-only control, blocking, washing and detection conditions (standard IHC practice). Cytoplasmic signal alone is not automatically false: HPA reports both membranous and cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA: tissue IHC profile).
No signal in glandular cells of an otherwise suitable colon or gallbladder section (HPA: High in those cell types).The run may have failed, or the sampled cells may differ from the HPA observations; absence alone does not establish absent ABCC3 protein (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC interpretation). Check tissue morphology and the run control, then review retrieval, antibody dilution and detection against the antibody's validated IHC conditions (standard IHC practice).
💡Expected ABCC3 appearanceCall a convincing positive when appropriate glandular cells show membrane-enriched staining, potentially with cytoplasmic signal (HPA: High glandular cells; membranous and cytoplasmic profile); isolated strong nuclear or section-wide diffuse staining is suspect (UniProt O15438: membrane location; standard IHC interpretation).
How each factor affects the staining
Membrane topology and polarity (UniProt O15438 topology and subcellular location).ABCC3 has 17 transmembrane segments and is reported at basolateral or basal membranes (UniProt O15438). Use membrane enrichment and the orientation of polarized cells when reading a section; topology alone does not identify the antibody epitope or prescribe retrieval conditions (UniProt O15438 topology; standard IHC interpretation).
Choice of tissue and cell compartment (HPA: tissue IHC).HPA reports High glandular-cell staining in adrenal gland, appendix, colon, fallopian tube, gallbladder, rectum and seminal vesicle (HPA: tissue IHC). Its Not detected calls refer to named cell populations, such as adipocytes and cholangiocytes, rather than every cell in an entire section (HPA: tissue IHC).
Strength of antibody-specific evidence (HPA: antibody validation).HPA048483 has Enhanced IHC validation, while CAB037136 is Approved for IHC (HPA: antibodies). These labels describe antibody-level validation; the overall tissue-profile reliability is separately Enhanced with medium RNA–staining consistency (HPA: antibodies; tissue IHC reliability). Interpret unexpected staining in light of the antibody actually used (standard IHC practice).
Isoforms and modifications (UniProt O15438: isoforms and glycosylation).UniProt lists 5 isoforms and three glycosylation sites for ABCC3 (UniProt O15438). The payload gives no antibody epitope, isoform coverage or modification-specific IHC result; therefore these features cannot explain a particular positive or negative section without further antibody-specific evidence (UniProt O15438; HPA: supplied antibody summaries).
IF/ICC Q&A: where should fluorescence localize? (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF).Mainly at the plasma membrane, a supported HPA ICC-IF location; basal-body localization is additional and uncertain (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF). This answers the localization question only. The supplied ICC-IF summary does not specify an IF protocol or establish that the IHC tissue pattern transfers unchanged to cultured cells (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF; tissue IHC).
Fixation and antigen retrieval evidence (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt O15438).Neither supplied source establishes ABCC3-specific fixation sensitivity or an optimal retrieval condition (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt O15438). Retrieval may be checked against the chosen antibody's validated IHC procedure as a general workflow step, without inferring that fixation caused a particular ABCC3 staining result (standard IHC practice).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Expected glandular cells lack signal in a colon or gallbladder positive control (HPA: High glandular cells).A failed staining run or a mismatch between the sampled cells and the reported HPA pattern is possible (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC interpretation).Confirm that the relevant glandular cells are present, inspect the run control, and follow the selected antibody's validated IHC retrieval, dilution and detection settings (standard IHC practice).
Nuclei dominate the signal in a tissue expected to show membrane staining (UniProt O15438: membrane location; HPA: tissue IHC profile).The compartment conflicts with the supplied localization evidence; stain deposits or nonspecific detection are possible (UniProt O15438; standard IHC interpretation).Inspect a no-primary or secondary-only control and the counterstain; score ABCC3 only where cellular location and tissue context support it (standard IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC).
Adipocytes or liver cholangiocytes stain strongly (HPA: Not detected in those named cell types).Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity could account for unexpected signal (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).Verify cell identity and compare with a no-primary or secondary-only control; assess the unexpected cells separately from any other cell populations in the section (standard IHC practice; HPA: cell-specific calls).
A uniform haze obscures membranes and cell boundaries (HPA: membranous and cytoplasmic tissue profile).Non-specific background from the staining workflow is possible; this appearance cannot be assigned to ABCC3 solely from intensity (standard IHC interpretation).Check blocking, washes, antibody concentration and detection controls, then reassess whether distinct membrane-enriched cells remain visible (standard IHC practice; UniProt O15438: membrane location).
Cytoplasmic staining appears alongside a clear glandular-cell membrane rim (HPA: membranous and cytoplasmic tissue profile).Both compartments are included in HPA's tissue description; the cytoplasmic component alone does not invalidate the result (HPA: tissue IHC profile).Record membrane and cytoplasmic patterns separately, including their cell types and relative intensity, and compare them with the selected tissue's HPA observation (standard IHC scoring; HPA: tissue IHC).
An IF image shows a basal-body focus without convincing plasma-membrane signal (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF).HPA calls basal-body localization uncertain and the plasma membrane the supported main location (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF).Treat the focus as inconclusive for ABCC3 localization; evaluate plasma-membrane signal and appropriate fluorescence controls on the separate IF/ICC workflow (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF; standard IF practice).

Sample controls for ABCC3 IHC & IF

🧪Run appendix first: glandular cells should stain (HPA: High in appendix glandular cells). Use adipose tissue adipocytes as the negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the appendix slide, assess morphologically distinct non-glandular cells as internal negative cells only where they lack staining.
Positive control tissue: Adrenal gland (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show ABCC3 in A-549, ASC52telo, RPTEC/TERT1, hTERT-RPE1 (serum starved), with annotated localisation: Plasma membrane (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary (secondary-only) control, rabbit isotype IgG matched to the catalog antibody’s clonality once confirmed, and ABCC3 knockout tissue or cells as a biological negative (datasheet: rabbit primary antibody; UniProt O15438: ABCC3). For DAB detection, block endogenous peroxidase and check endogenous biotin background when using the caption’s streptavidin–biotin system (caption: SABC with DAB).
⚠️Feasibility: The selected IHC-P caption reports heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 and an overnight primary incubation at 2 μg/ml, but its fixative is unreported; no target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is supplied (caption: retrieval and incubation conditions; caption: fixative not stated). The evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier than paraffin IHC; HPA supports plasma membrane localization in ICC-IF images (HPA: plasma membrane supported). Check glandular staining against local background and DAB artefact from endogenous peroxidase or biotin (HPA: High in appendix glandular cells; caption: SABC with DAB).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for ABCC3

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data.). 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
Adrenal gland Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Colon Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Fallopian tube Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Gallbladder Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells 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 ABCC3 IHC Tips

Use the catalog antibody’s documented paraffin-section conditions as a starting point, then judge ABCC3 staining by cell type, membrane pattern and controls.

Which retrieval conditions should I start with for ABCC3 paraffin-section IHC?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for paraffin sections (datasheet A02429-1). The selected tissue-IHC image used this retrieval before overnight incubation at 4°C with 2 μg/ml primary antibody, so keep those conditions together for the initial comparison (caption A02429-1). If staining is weak, compare a shorter and longer heating interval on serial sections while holding antibody concentration and detection constant (standard IHC practice). Examine tissue preservation alongside signal: excessive heating can damage morphology and make an apparent gain in staining difficult to interpret (standard IHC practice).
How should I troubleshoot fixation when ABCC3 staining is weak?
Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (caption A02429-1). Record the actual fixative and fixation time for each specimen, then compare sections processed with consistent retrieval and staining conditions (standard IHC practice). If samples differ in fixation history, run them alongside a consistently processed reference section before attributing weak staining to biological expression (standard IHC practice). Review morphology and the distribution of staining across the section, because poor preservation or uneven processing can compromise interpretation independently of antibody concentration (standard IHC practice).
Where should credible ABCC3 staining appear in polarized tissue?
Prioritize basolateral staining in polarized epithelium: ABCC3 is annotated at the basolateral cell membrane, including that of enterocytes (UniProt O15438 localisation). Its 17 transmembrane segments support assessment of a membrane pattern, while HPA also reports membranous and cytoplasmic tissue staining (UniProt O15438 topology; HPA tissue IHC). Compare the stained edge of each cell with tissue architecture and a counterstain, especially where closely packed cells obscure membrane boundaries (standard IHC practice). Diffuse cytoplasmic staining alone is less persuasive than a reproducible polarized pattern; assess it against controls and the documented HPA profile before assigning specificity (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Could isoforms or epitope accessibility explain discordant ABCC3 IHC results?
ABCC3 has 5 annotated isoforms, so check which sequence the catalog antibody recognizes before comparing results across studies (UniProt O15438 isoforms; standard IHC practice). The supplied caption gives staining conditions but no epitope position, leaving isoform coverage and epitope orientation unresolved for this antibody (caption A02429-1). ABCC3 contains extracellular and cytoplasmic regions plus glycosylation sites at residues 18, 1006 and 1007; these features identify questions for epitope review, not proven causes of weak staining (UniProt O15438 topology and glycosylation). If results disagree, document the antibody epitope, retrieval conditions and scored compartment before proposing an isoform-specific explanation (standard IHC practice).
How can I use IF to examine an ambiguous ABCC3 IHC pattern?
For follow-up IF, pair ABCC3 with a marker identifying the expected epithelial cell population and inspect whether the signals occupy the same cells (HPA: high in appendix and colon glandular cells; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after checking tissue autofluorescence and channel bleed-through, and include single-label controls when interpreting multiplex images (standard IF practice). Match permeabilisation to the mapped epitope: access to a cytoplasmic region may require it, whereas an extracellular epitope may be examined without it when the assay permits (UniProt O15438 topology; standard IF practice). The supplied evidence does not establish this antibody’s IF fixation or epitope conditions, so optimize those conditions separately from its paraffin-section IHC caption (caption A02429-1; standard IF practice).
What controls help separate ABCC3 signal from chromogenic background?
The selected IHC image used 10% goat serum blocking, a biotinylated secondary antibody, a streptavidin–biotin detection complex and DAB (caption A02429-1). If staining is widespread, include a no-primary control and check secondary-antibody and detection-reagent background on adjacent sections (standard IHC practice). Apply a peroxidase block before DAB development and assess endogenous biotin where a biotin-based detection system is used; these are general chromogenic IHC controls (standard IHC practice). Compare background and tissue preservation across sections while changing one blocking or detection variable at a time, then judge any improvement against the expected membrane pattern (UniProt O15438 localisation; standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify ABCC3 in chromogenic IHC sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the scored cell population and membrane compartment before measuring ABCC3, since HPA describes membranous and cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). For a semi-quantitative result, report the percentage of positive cells and an H-score based on staining intensity; record membrane and cytoplasmic scores separately (standard IHC practice). If counting discrete positive cells, report density per mm² of evaluable tissue and exclude folds, necrosis and poorly preserved areas by a prespecified rule (standard IHC practice). Normalize comparisons to the same cell population, evaluable area, staining batch and scoring threshold, using matched reference sections to monitor batch variation (standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent ABCC3-positive cell likely to be an artefact?
A reproducible basolateral membrane pattern in appropriate epithelium supports an ABCC3 interpretation, while HPA also records cytoplasmic staining in several tissues (UniProt O15438 localisation; HPA tissue IHC). Check cell identity: HPA reports high staining in appendix glandular cells but no detection in adipocytes, so the expected population depends on the specimen (HPA tissue IHC). Treat staining restricted to cut edges, folds or necrotic areas cautiously, and inspect a no-primary control for endogenous enzyme or detection background (standard IHC practice). HPA rates tissue-IHC reliability as Enhanced while noting medium consistency with RNA expression, so resolve unexpected patterns with controls and independent evidence (HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents

Best ABCC3 / ATP-binding cassette sub-family C member 3 IHC Antibodies

A02429-1 has real IHC data from human paraffin sections of appendiceal and colonic adenocarcinoma, placenta, and stomach cancer (catalog IHC captions); no IF data are supplied (catalog images).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of MRP3/ABCC3 using anti-MRP3/ABCC3 antibody (A02429-1). MRP3/ABCC3 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human appendiceal adenocarcinoma tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 2 μg/ml rabbit anti-MRP3/ABCC3 Antibody (A02429-1) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC) (Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-MRP3/ABCC3 Antibody ®
Cat # A02429-1

A02429-1 is listed for human IHC and has images from paraffin sections of appendiceal adenocarcinoma and colonic adenocarcinoma (catalog applications, reactivity, and IHC captions). Its other IHC images show human placenta and stomach cancer paraffin sections (catalog IHC captions).

Which to pick: Choose A02429-1 for human paraffin-section IHC: it is a rabbit polyclonal antibody with a listed concentration of 2–5 μg/ml, and its images used EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (catalog antibody details and IHC captions). Its listed applications and images provide no IF/ICC validation, so there is no supported IF/ICC pick here (catalog applications and images). A02429-1 lists human reactivity only, so there is no supported cross-species pick; the fixative used for its paraffin sections is unreported (catalog reactivity and IHC captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry O15438 (MRP3_HUMAN, ATP-binding cassette sub-family C member 3).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. ABCC3 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. ABCC3 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the plasma membrane. In addition localized to the basal body..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. ABCC3 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Quercetin Regulates Key Components of the Cellular Microenvironment during Early Hepatocarcinogenesis. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) 2022 — PMC8868318.
  6. Detection of ABCC1 expression in classical Hodgkin lymphoma is associated with increased risk of treatment failure using standard chemotherapy protocols. Journal of hematology & oncology 2012 — PMC3470996.
  7. Downregulation of ABCC3 activates MAPK signaling through accumulation of deoxycholic acid in colorectal cancer cells. Cancer science 2024 — PMC11145118.
  8. Molecular mechanisms and diagnostic model of glioma-related epilepsy. NPJ precision oncology 2024 — PMC11450052.
  9. PubMed PMID:9813153 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:9738950 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:9827529 — UniProt-cited evidence.