AHCYL1 / S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like protein 1 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for AHCYL1

Plan AHCYL1 IHC in paraffin sections around the cytoplasmic pattern reported across most tissue types (HPA tissue IHC). Use duodenal glandular cells with medium staining as a reference (HPA tissue IHC), and start with the catalog antibody’s 2–5 μg/ml IHC range (datasheet A08908-2).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for AHCYL1 (IHC for AHCYL1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissue types (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A08908-2, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable AHCYL1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissue types (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A08908-2, controls and protocol steps. Open the full AHCYL1 IHC guide →

AHCYL1 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 Cytoplasmic staining in most tissue types (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Medium cytoplasmic signal in duodenal glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A08908-2)
Positive control ⓘ Duodenum+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 A08908-2)
Caveat Staining shows low consistency with RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Apoptotic stress reduces MAM localization (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope Two isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended AHCYL1 IHC & IF Protocols

Compare the catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol with published AHCYL1 staining conditions for chicken oviduct and human lung tissue (PMC9107370; PMC3492294; PMC12068309).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human bladder adenosquamous carcinoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A08908-2)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A08908-2); 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 A08908-2); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A08908-2)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-AHCYL1, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A08908-2)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A08908-2)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A08908-2)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultAHCYL1-positive staining in glandular cells of duodenum (HPA tissue IHC: Medium). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in most tissue types. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with EDTA pH 8.0 heat retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet A08908-2); the published protocols used citrate retrieval (PMC9107370; PMC3492294; PMC12068309).
Section 2

What Is the Expected AHCYL1 Staining Pattern?

AHCYL1 should appear predominantly cytoplasmic in most tissue types (HPA tissue IHC), with medium staining in glandular cells of the duodenum, endometrium, fallopian tube and thyroid gland, and exocrine glandular cells of the pancreas (HPA tissue IHC). Cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum localisation, with possible apical membrane association, is consistent with a protein lacking a transmembrane segment (UniProt O43865). HPA rates its tissue IHC evidence Approved but notes low agreement with RNA expression and pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Medium cytoplasmic staining in duodenal glandular cells or pancreatic exocrine glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC).This matches the reported cell type, compartment and intensity (HPA tissue IHC). Judge individual cells rather than the whole section: adjacent unstained structures do not negate a positive result. The HPA tissue pattern is Approved but pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC).
A strong nuclear-only deposit, with no corresponding cytoplasmic staining.Treat this as a localisation mismatch: HPA reports cytoplasmic tissue staining, while UniProt lists cytosol, endoplasmic reticulum, microsomes and apical membrane, not a nuclear location (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt O43865). Review morphology and detection controls before scoring it as AHCYL1.
Signal in cells listed as undetected, such as adipocytes or cardiomyocytes (HPA tissue IHC).Check whether staining belongs to those cells rather than nearby structures. If it does, cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible; the HPA result is cell-specific and does not make every cell in adipose tissue or heart muscle negative (HPA tissue IHC).
Diffuse colour across cells, stroma and empty areas, obscuring cellular boundaries.This is background rather than an interpretable cytoplasmic pattern. Review no-primary controls, blocking, washes and chromogen development as general IHC checks. HPA reports cytoplasmic expression in most tissue types, so a broad tissue distribution alone does not establish background (HPA tissue IHC).
No cytoplasmic signal in glandular cells of an expected positive section.Duodenal, endometrial, fallopian tube and thyroid glandular cells, and pancreatic exocrine glandular cells, have reported medium staining (HPA tissue IHC). A blank result warrants checks of tissue identity, morphology, antibody and detection controls before calling the sample negative; HPA does not establish fixation sensitivity for AHCYL1.
💡Expected AHCYL1 appearanceCall a positive result when intact glandular cells show discernible, predominantly cytoplasmic staining of about medium intensity in a reported positive tissue (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear-only or cell-free colour is suspect against the reported localisation (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt O43865).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell-level tissue distributionHPA reports cytoplasmic expression in most tissue types and low RNA tissue specificity, yet its examples distinguish medium-staining glandular cells from specific cells scored not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Select and score controls by the named cell population; do not treat an entire organ as uniformly positive or negative.
Membrane-associated localisationAHCYL1 has no transmembrane segment, but UniProt lists endoplasmic reticulum, microsomes and apical cell membrane; phosphorylation can promote membrane association through ITPR1 (UniProt O43865). An apical component can therefore coexist with cytoplasmic staining; assess it against the cellular pattern before dismissing it.
Protein forms and modificationsUniProt lists 2 isoforms, a mature chain spanning residues 2–530, and several modified residues, including phosphoserines (UniProt O43865). The payload gives no antibody epitope or isoform-specific staining data, so these annotations cannot predict differential IHC intensity or establish an antigen retrieval requirement.
Strength of tissue evidenceHPA labels the tissue stain Approved but reports low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression, with external verification pending; HPA042589 has IHC Approved status (HPA tissue IHC; HPA antibodies). Use the listed cells as practical reference patterns while keeping a discordant stain provisional until controls support it.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Expected positive glandular cells show no signal (HPA tissue IHC).The section may lack identifiable target cells, or the staining run may have failed; the payload gives no target-specific fixation or retrieval failure mechanism.Confirm cell identity on the counterstain and inspect a reported medium-staining control cell population (HPA tissue IHC). Check the catalog antibody, detection reagents and routine IHC run controls before changing conditions.
Nuclear-only staining dominates the section.The distribution conflicts with the reported cytoplasmic tissue pattern and listed nonnuclear locations (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt O43865); its precise cause is undetermined.Inspect no-primary and detection controls, compare cytoplasmic staining in a reported positive cell population, and avoid scoring isolated nuclear colour as confirmed AHCYL1 (HPA tissue IHC).
Colour appears in adipocytes or cardiomyocytes, which HPA lists as not detected (HPA tissue IHC).Cell identification may be mistaken; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is also possible. HPA's entries apply to the named cell types (HPA tissue IHC).Recheck morphology, compare a reported positive cell population, and use no-primary and detection controls to investigate staining that persists outside the expected cells.
Diffuse colour prevents cell-level scoring.Nonspecific background, endogenous detection activity or excessive chromogen development are general IHC possibilities; the supplied sources do not assign an AHCYL1-specific cause.Review blank and no-primary controls, blocking, washes and development time. Score only resolvable cellular staining; HPA's broad cytoplasmic tissue profile alone is not evidence of background (HPA tissue IHC).
An apical edge stains alongside cytoplasm.Apical membrane localisation and phosphorylation-dependent membrane association are reported (UniProt O43865), so this pattern is not automatically artefactual.Assess whether the edge belongs to intact cells and whether a cytoplasmic component is present. Compare morphology and controls before accepting a membrane-only deposit as specific.
IF/ICC Q: Where should AHCYL1 fluorescence appear?HPA approves cytosol as the main ICC-IF location and lists images from A-431, U-251MG and U2OS cells (HPA subcellular; HPA antibodies).Expect cytosolic fluorescence (HPA subcellular). Treat that observation as the IF/ICC localisation reference; the tissue IHC intensity ratings do not define an IF/ICC intensity threshold (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular).

Sample controls for AHCYL1 IHC & IF

🧪Run duodenum first: its glandular cells should stain for AHCYL1 (HPA: Medium in duodenal glandular cells). Run appendix glandular cells as the negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in appendix glandular cells); on the duodenal slide, assess cells outside the glandular compartment for counterstain-only background, while recognizing that HPA does not establish them as AHCYL1-negative.
Positive control tissue: Duodenum (Glandular cells, HPA Medium)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show AHCYL1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control, a concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype control for the rabbit catalog antibody, and AHCYL1 knockout tissue as a biological specificity control (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary antibody). For duodenum, block endogenous peroxidase and biotin before the reported biotin-based DAB detection, or assess their contribution with the no-primary control (selected-SKU caption: SABC/DAB).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the fixative is unreported in the selected A08908-2 paraffin-section caption. The caption reports heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, so use that as the initial IHC condition and check retrieval dependence experimentally (selected-SKU caption). No supplied evidence establishes that frozen sections or IF are easier; duodenal endogenous peroxidase or biotin may complicate biotin-based chromogenic scoring (selected-SKU caption: SABC/DAB; standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for AHCYL1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — Low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Pending external verification.). 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
Duodenum Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Endometrium Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Fallopian tube Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Pancreas Exocrine glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Thyroid gland Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Cells in granular layer Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Esophagus Squamous epithelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced AHCYL1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot AHCYL1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell and compartment patterns, controls, and scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.

Which retrieval condition should I use for AHCYL1 in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA pH 8.0 for paraffin sections stained with A08908-2 (datasheet A08908-2). That condition accompanied staining of a human bladder adenosquamous carcinoma section, although its fixative was unreported (caption A08908-2). If signal is weak, compare a longer or shorter heating interval on matched sections while keeping the buffer and detection conditions constant (standard IHC practice). Include a no-primary control and a known staining control in each run so increased DAB deposition is not mistaken for improved epitope exposure (standard IHC practice). Record heating time, cooling time, and any tissue damage alongside staining intensity (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak AHCYL1 staining in my paraffin sections?
Target-specific sensitivity of AHCYL1 to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the A08908-2 tissue caption does not state a fixative (caption A08908-2). Record the fixative, fixation duration, tissue thickness, and processing history for each specimen before comparing staining (standard IHC practice). If fixation varies across a cohort, stain matched sections together using the documented EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval condition and a consistent antibody incubation (datasheet A08908-2; standard IHC practice). Compare morphology, staining in an internal reference population, and no-primary controls before attributing weak signal to AHCYL1 abundance (standard IHC practice). Avoid treating fixation-dependent differences as biological differences until processing is matched (standard IHC practice).
Where should convincing AHCYL1 signal appear in chromogenic IHC?
Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining across many tissue types, while assessing the specific cell population under study (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression in most tissue types). AHCYL1 is reported in cytosol and endoplasmic reticulum, with context-dependent membrane association and localization at mitochondria-associated ER membranes (UniProt O43865 subcellular location). It has no annotated transmembrane segment, so a sharp, exclusive cell-surface outline deserves verification with another antibody or an orthogonal assay (UniProt O43865 topology; standard IHC practice). Compare signal with nearby morphologically intact cells and a no-primary section, especially where DAB obscures subcellular detail (standard IHC practice). Do not infer ER–mitochondria contacts from chromogenic resolution alone (standard IHC practice).
How can isoforms or epitope masking change the AHCYL1 IHC pattern?
AHCYL1 has 2 annotated isoforms, but the supplied product caption does not identify the A08908-2 epitope (UniProt O43865 isoforms; caption A08908-2). Check the antibody's immunogen or epitope documentation before claiming that staining distinguishes isoform 1 from isoform 2 (standard IHC practice). Phosphoserines at positions 68 and 71 are annotated, and phosphorylation is linked to membrane association; neither fact establishes how this antibody stains after tissue processing (UniProt O43865 modified residues and subcellular location). If an epitope-specific concern remains, compare antibodies recognizing documented, distinct regions on adjacent sections with matched retrieval and controls (standard IHC practice). Report the observed compartment and antibody identity rather than assigning an isoform from DAB staining alone (standard IHC practice).
How should I investigate AHCYL1 localisation by multiplex IF?
On the separate IF/ICC workflow, pair AHCYL1 with a marker for the cell population being examined and verify each channel with single-stain controls (standard IF practice). Dendritic-cell expression is reported, while glandular-cell staining occurs in several tissues; select a cell marker appropriate to the specimen rather than assuming all positive cells share one identity (UniProt O43865 tissue specificity; HPA tissue IHC). Choose a fluorophore channel with low specimen autofluorescence and check bleed-through before interpreting apparent overlap (standard IF practice). AHCYL1 is cytosolic and has no transmembrane segment, so plan permeabilisation to expose an intracellular epitope once its location is documented (HPA subcellular; UniProt O43865 topology; standard IF practice). Confirm any proposed membrane-associated signal against a compartment marker at suitable resolution (UniProt O43865 subcellular location; standard IF practice).
What should I check when AHCYL1 DAB staining looks diffuse?
First inspect a no-primary section for signal from the secondary detection system, endogenous enzyme activity, or pigment (standard IHC practice). The A08908-2 example used 10% goat-serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, a biotinylated secondary, and DAB development (caption A08908-2). With biotin-based detection, assess endogenous biotin where relevant and include a peroxidase block as a general chromogenic IHC step (standard IHC practice). If controls are clean but haze remains, titrate primary concentration and development time on matched sections while preserving EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval (datasheet A08908-2; standard IHC practice). Compare haze with the expected cytoplasmic pattern before scoring cells positive (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
How should I score AHCYL1 staining across paraffin sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the target cell population and score cytoplasmic DAB signal within intact cells, because broad cytoplasmic expression is the reported tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Use an H-score from intensity categories 0–3 and their percentage of cells, or report the percentage positive at a prespecified threshold (standard IHC practice). For sparse populations, count positive cells per mm² and normalise to the sampled tissue area or total cells of that population (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, imaging, segmentation, and background thresholds constant across batches; include control tissue to monitor staining drift (standard IHC practice). Report compartment and cell type separately because area-wide DAB density can conceal shifts in cellular composition (standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent AHCYL1-positive cell likely to be artefactual?
A convincing positive should show reproducible cytoplasmic signal in morphologically intact cells, consistent with the reported tissue pattern and cytosolic localisation (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). Treat staining confined to section edges, folds, or necrotic regions as suspect until it persists in well-preserved areas (standard IHC practice). Check a no-primary section for endogenous peroxidase or detection-system signal before calling granular DAB deposits positive (standard IHC practice). An exclusively nuclear or sharply surface-only pattern warrants orthogonal confirmation, because AHCYL1 is reported mainly in cytosol and lacks a transmembrane segment (HPA subcellular; UniProt O43865 topology). Interpret apparent tissue differences cautiously: HPA rates its tissue IHC as Approved but reports low consistency with RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents

Best AHCYL1 / S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like protein 1 IHC Antibodies

A08908-2 has IHC images from human paraffin sections and an IF image from A431 cells (catalog image captions). Listed reactivity covers human, mouse and rat (catalog reactivity).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of IRBIT/AHCYL1 using anti-IRBIT/AHCYL1 antibody (A08908-2). IRBIT/AHCYL1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human bladder adenosquamous carcinoma 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-IRBIT/AHCYL1 Antibody (A08908-2) 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-IRBIT/AHCYL1 Antibody ®
Cat # A08908-2

A08908-2 will render with IHC evidence from human paraffin sections of bladder adenosquamous carcinoma, Hashimoto thyroiditis, thyroid papillary carcinoma and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (A08908-2 IHC image captions). Its IF/ICC evidence comes from A431 cells (A08908-2 IF image caption), and the catalog lists IHC, ICC and IF applications (catalog applications).

Which to pick: Choose A08908-2 for chromogenic IHC on paraffin sections: its caption documents EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0, a 2 μg/ml primary concentration and SABC-DAB detection; the fixative is unreported (A08908-2 IHC image caption). For IF/ICC, A08908-2 has an A431 cell image using 5 μg/ml primary antibody (A08908-2 IF image caption). For cross-species planning, A08908-2 lists human, mouse and rat reactivity (catalog reactivity), while the shown IHC sections are human (A08908-2 IHC image captions); its host is rabbit and clonality is unreported (catalog host/clone).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry O43865 (SAHH2_HUMAN, S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like protein 1).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. AHCYL1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. AHCYL1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the cytosol..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. AHCYL1 antibody validation summary (1 antibodies).
  5. S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase-like protein 1 (AHCYL1) inhibits lung cancer tumorigenesis by regulating cell plasticity. Biology direct 2023 — PMC9985837.
  6. AHCYL1 Is a Novel Biomarker for Predicting Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Colorectal Cancer. Journal of oncology 2022 — PMC9107370.
  7. AHCYL1 is mediated by estrogen-induced ERK1/2 MAPK cell signaling and microRNA regulation to effect functional aspects of the avian oviduct. PloS one 2012 — PMC3492294.
  8. AHCYL1 mediates the tumor-promoting effect of PREX2 in non-small cell lung carcinoma. Theranostics 2025 — PMC12068309.
  9. PubMed PMID:11904675 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:17974005 — UniProt-cited evidence.