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AIMP1 / Aminoacyl tRNA synthase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for AIMP1
Plan AIMP1 IHC-P around widespread cytoplasmic staining, with high expression in neuronal cells and pancreas (HPA tissue IHC). This guide highlights consistent fixation and the interpretive challenge posed by secreted AIMP1 (UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
AIMP1 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 tissue (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Widespread cytoplasmic staining; high in neurons and pancreas (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen) | |
| Positive control | Caudate+4 more · see all | |
| Negative control | None in HPA (detected in all 45 tissues); use no-primary + isotype controls |
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
| Fixation | Keep paraffin-section fixation consistent. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Secreted forms may separate protein staining from local RNA (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Hypoxia can trigger secretion (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | Two isoforms; EMAP2 spans residues 147–312, so epitope location matters (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended AIMP1 IHC & IF Protocols
Compare the catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol with a published AIMP1 IHC workflow for myeloma patient bone marrow biopsies (PMC9648396).
| Sample | Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A03109); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: nuclear antigen) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-AIMP1, 1:100–1:500 starting range (standard) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (standard) |
| Detection | HRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | AIMP1-positive staining in neuronal cells of caudate (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression. High expression in neuronal cells and pancreas. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting); the published workflow does not specify retrieval (PMC9648396).
Section 2
What Is the Expected AIMP1 Staining Pattern?
AIMP1 should show predominantly cytoplasmic staining in paraffin sections, with strong staining expected in neuronal cells and pancreatic tissue (HPA tissue IHC). Cytosolic localization is also supported by ICC-IF (HPA subcellular). UniProt additionally lists nuclear, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi and secreted locations; AIMP1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q12904). HPA rates the tissue pattern Supported and cautions that secretion can complicate agreement between RNA and protein location (HPA tissue IHC).
| Strong cytoplasmic staining in neurons, with recognizable cell boundaries and restrained background (HPA tissue IHC). | This matches the reported high staining in caudate, cerebral cortex and hippocampal neuronal cells (HPA tissue IHC). Lung alveolar type II cells offer another reported high-staining cell type (HPA tissue IHC). Compare cells within the same section before judging intensity across tissues (standard IHC practice). |
| Predominantly nuclear or sharp membrane-only staining, with little cytoplasmic signal. | That differs from the dominant cytoplasmic tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). UniProt lists a nuclear location, so isolated nuclear staining is not conclusive evidence of an artefact (UniProt Q12904). Recheck morphology and controls; a membrane-only outline is difficult to reconcile with the lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q12904; standard IHC practice). |
| Strong staining mainly in cells expected to stain weakly, such as cardiomyocytes or cholangiocytes (HPA tissue IHC). | HPA reports low staining in those cell types, not absence of AIMP1 (HPA tissue IHC). Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic activity if the high signal persists in appropriate controls (standard IHC practice). Cell identity and staining distribution matter more than treating a low-staining comparator as a negative tissue (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). |
| Diffuse color across tissue, stroma and empty spaces, obscuring cell outlines. | This cannot establish intracellular localization (standard IHC practice). Secreted AIMP1 makes extracellular signal biologically possible, but diffuse color alone cannot distinguish it from background (UniProt Q12904; standard IHC practice). Compare a matched control lacking primary antibody and assess whether staining follows identifiable cells (standard IHC practice). |
| No staining in morphologically identifiable neuronal cells from a reported high-staining region (HPA tissue IHC). | Target-specific fixation effects are not established by the supplied assay evidence. Verify with a matched IHC source before attributing a result to fixation. |
💡Expected AIMP1 appearanceCall a section positive when identifiable neuronal cells show clear, predominantly cytoplasmic staining of high intensity relative to local background; widespread color without cell boundaries or a membrane-only outline is suspect (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12904; standard IHC practice).
| Cell and tissue context (HPA tissue IHC) | AIMP1 is broadly cytoplasmic, with high staining reported in neuronal cells and pancreatic tissue; cardiomyocytes and cholangiocytes are low-staining comparators, not validated negatives (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Processing and secretion (UniProt Q12904) | UniProt lists a full-length chain at residues 2–312 and an endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide 2 chain at 147–312 (UniProt Q12904). It also lists secretion, so intracellular and extracellular signals require careful interpretation (UniProt Q12904). |
| Antibody epitope and isoforms (UniProt Q12904) | Two isoforms are listed, but the supplied record does not map either antibody's epitope to an isoform or processed chain (UniProt Q12904; HPA antibodies). Staining therefore cannot identify a specific form from location alone (standard IHC practice). |
| Validation scope (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC) | Both listed antibodies have Supported IHC status; the tissue pattern is also Supported, with medium agreement between antibody staining and RNA (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC). Interpret unexpected staining with controls rather than treating it as independently confirmed (standard IHC practice). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Known-positive neuronal cells show no chromogenic signal (HPA tissue IHC). | A failed detection run, unsuitable retrieval conditions or an overly dilute antibody are general possibilities; no AIMP1-specific retrieval sensitivity is supplied (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). | Check a positive tissue alongside detection controls, then optimize retrieval and antibody concentration under the laboratory's IHC procedure (standard IHC practice). |
| Color appears in the control lacking primary antibody. | Endogenous detection activity or nonspecific chromogen deposition may contribute to signal (standard IHC practice). | Review the detection and blocking steps appropriate to the chromogen system; do not score that color as AIMP1 staining (standard IHC practice). |
| The entire section has a diffuse brown haze. | Background can reflect nonspecific reagent binding or incomplete washing (standard IHC practice). | Compare the control lacking primary antibody, improve washing and review blocking before scoring cell-specific staining (standard IHC practice). |
| Staining is confined to nuclei or forms crisp cell-surface rims. | This departs from HPA's predominant cytoplasmic pattern, although UniProt also lists a nuclear location (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12904). | Verify cell morphology and control staining before interpreting the pattern; do not reject a minor nuclear component solely on compartment (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q12904). |
| A low-staining comparator appears stronger than the neuronal positive tissue (HPA tissue IHC). | Section quality, background or cross-reactivity may alter the apparent comparison (standard IHC practice). HPA's low designation does not mean zero protein (HPA tissue IHC). | Review both sections with matched detection conditions and controls, then score cell type and compartment separately from overall color intensity (standard IHC practice). |
| IF/ICC question: What location should be expected? | HPA reports enhanced cytosolic localization in ICC-IF; one listed antibody has Enhanced ICC status and the other Supported ICC status (HPA subcellular; HPA antibodies). | Expect predominantly cytosolic fluorescence in ICC-IF and assess it against that assay's controls; the ICC-IF result does not independently validate a paraffin IHC pattern (HPA subcellular; HPA antibodies; standard IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing AIMP1 staining
A03109 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of AIMP1 in mouse brain tissue with AIMP1 antibody at 5 μg/mL.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164022-AIMP1/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_5154844
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164022-AIMP1/tissue/colon#imid_5154762
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164022-AIMP1/tissue/liver#imid_5154763
HPA · PancreasHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Pancreas. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164022-AIMP1/tissue/pancreas#imid_5154706
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody CAB017618; green = AIMP1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody CAB017618; green = AIMP1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for AIMP1 IHC & IF
🧪Run cerebral cortex first and expect neuronal cells to stain (HPA: High in cerebral cortex neuronal cells). HPA detects AIMP1 in all 45 scored tissues and lists no negative tissue (HPA: negative rows empty); use no-primary and isotype controls to define background, and expect cells without specific staining on the positive slide to resemble that background (standard IHC practice).
Positive control tissue: Caudate (Neuronal cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: None in HPA: AIMP1 is detected in all 45 scored tissues. Use a no-primary (secondary-only) and an isotype control instead.
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show AIMP1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, U2OS, siRNA 1 (10x), U2OS, siRNA 1 (40x), U2OS, scrambled (10x), U2OS, scrambled (40x), with annotated localisation: Cytosol (enhanced) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only slide, an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host and immunoglobulin class, and AIMP1-knockout material as a biological specificity control (standard IHC practice). For chromogenic detection in cerebral cortex, block endogenous peroxidase; if assessing IF, account for brain autofluorescence (standard IHC/IF practice).
⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or effect, or antigen-retrieval dependency, is reported in the supplied evidence; the selected A03109 mouse-brain IHC caption gives 5 µg/mL but does not report a fixative (A03109 caption). Frozen-section performance is unreported, so its ease relative to IF/ICC cannot be ranked from this evidence; ICC-IF images and enhanced cytosolic localisation are reported for AIMP1 (HPA: subcellular). Brain autofluorescence can complicate IF interpretation (standard IF practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for AIMP1
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Supported — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. At least one protein variant secreted, tissue location of RNA and protein might differ and correlation is complex.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.
Positive expression · recommended positive controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caudate | Neuronal cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebellum | GLUC cells - cytoplasm/membrane | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebral cortex | Neuronal cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Hippocampus | Neuronal cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Lung | Alveolar cells type II | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None in HPA: AIMP1 is detected in all 45 scored tissues. Use a no-primary (secondary-only) and an isotype control instead. | ||||
Section 3
Advanced AIMP1 IHC Tips
Use compartment-aware controls and matched section processing to troubleshoot AIMP1 staining in chromogenic IHC; interpret IF findings separately.
How should I optimize retrieval when AIMP1 staining is weak in paraffin sections?
Start with Tris-EDTA at pH 9.0, heated to 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). Compare serial sections with identical antibody concentration, incubation, detection, and counterstaining so that retrieval is the variable being assessed (standard IHC practice). The selected A03109 mouse brain caption reports 5 µg/mL antibody but does not state a fixative or retrieval method (A03109 tissue-IHC caption). If signal remains weak, test a citrate buffer at pH 6.0 as a fallback, recording both signal and tissue damage (standard IHC practice). Judge improvement by cellular cytoplasmic staining, consistent with the tissue profile, rather than stronger staining at section edges (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven AIMP1 staining?
AIMP1-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected mouse brain caption does not identify its fixative (A03109 tissue-IHC caption). Record fixative, fixation duration, tissue thickness, and processing history before comparing sections, because these variables can alter IHC staining (standard IHC practice). If matched material is available, process adjacent samples with a controlled fixation interval and stain them in the same run (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, antibody concentration, detection time, and counterstain constant while assessing cytoplasmic signal and morphology (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Do not infer a fixation preference from AIMP1 localisation, modifications, or tissue staining patterns (UniProt Q12904; HPA tissue IHC).
Which staining compartments should count as plausible AIMP1 signal?
Prioritize cellular cytoplasmic staining when reading tissue sections: the tissue profile describes ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression, and the subcellular profile identifies cytosol as the enhanced location (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). UniProt also lists nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and secretion, so an unexpected compartment needs corroboration before it is scored as specific (UniProt Q12904 localisation). AIMP1 has no transmembrane segment, and its secreted forms can complicate assignment of extracellular staining to the cell that produced it (UniProt Q12904 topology and localisation). Inspect cell boundaries on a counterstained section and compare the candidate signal with nearby intact cells and a no-primary control (standard IHC practice).
How might epitope position affect interpretation of AIMP1 staining?
Check the catalog antibody’s stated immunogen or epitope before attributing differences in staining to an AIMP1 isoform (standard IHC practice). UniProt records 2 isoforms and an endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide 2 chain spanning residues 147–312, alongside the chain spanning residues 2–312 (UniProt Q12904 processing and isoforms). An antibody directed outside the shorter chain’s sequence would not be expected to detect that chain; the supplied caption does not identify A03109’s epitope (UniProt Q12904 processing; A03109 tissue-IHC caption). Compare antibodies to distinct documented epitopes, if available, on matched sections using the same retrieval and detection conditions (standard IHC practice). Interpret discordant patterns as an epitope question requiring validation, rather than as proof of a particular processed form (standard IHC practice).
How should I investigate AIMP1 localisation with multiplex IF?
On the separate IF/ICC workflow, pair AIMP1 with a marker for the cell population being examined; neuronal cells provide one evidence-backed population to investigate (HPA tissue IHC). Put the weaker signal in a bright channel and choose fluorophores after checking unstained tissue autofluorescence and single-label controls (standard IF practice). For intracellular AIMP1, use a controlled permeabilisation step and verify that it permits access to the antibody’s documented epitope; AIMP1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q12904 topology; standard IF practice). The enhanced cytosolic location offers a reference pattern, while nuclear or extracellular fluorescence needs separate validation (HPA subcellular; UniProt Q12904 localisation). Do not treat the A03109 tissue-IHC caption as IF fixation or permeabilisation evidence (A03109 tissue-IHC caption).
What controls help distinguish AIMP1 staining from chromogenic background?
Inspect a no-primary section for staining from the detection system, and use a matched negative reagent control where appropriate (standard IHC practice). Include a peroxidase block before HRP-based DAB detection and assess whether endogenous enzyme activity persists, especially where pigment or blood obscures interpretation (standard IHC practice). Titrate the IHC-validated antibody around the documented 5 µg/mL used for the A03109 mouse brain image, keeping development time constant during the comparison (A03109 tissue-IHC caption; standard IHC practice). Examine section edges, folds, necrotic areas, and precipitate separately from intact cells, because these can create misleading deposits (standard IHC practice). Retain a clean counterstain so cellular boundaries remain visible during assessment of the expected cytoplasmic pattern (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
How should I score AIMP1 IHC across heterogeneous tissue regions? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define anatomical regions and cell classes before scoring, then report the percentage of positive cells and staining intensity or an H-score for each class (standard IHC practice). Normalize cell counts to the number of eligible intact cells in the same region, or report positive-cell density per mm² when area is the sampling unit (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, antibody concentration, DAB development, imaging settings, and scoring thresholds consistent across comparison slides (standard IHC practice). Record cytoplasmic and other compartment scores separately because the tissue profile emphasizes cytoplasmic expression, while UniProt lists additional locations (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12904 localisation). Report the sampled regions and excluded artefacts so differences in cell composition do not masquerade as changes in AIMP1 staining (standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent AIMP1-positive result convincing?
A convincing result follows cellular boundaries, recurs in comparable intact cells, and exceeds staining in the no-primary control (standard IHC practice). Cytoplasmic signal in neuronal cells is supported by the tissue profile, whereas the source of extracellular staining is harder to assign because AIMP1 can be secreted (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12904 localisation). Treat predominantly nuclear signal as a finding to verify with an independent epitope or method, since the enhanced subcellular location is cytosol although UniProt also lists nucleus (HPA subcellular; UniProt Q12904 localisation). Discount staining confined to cut edges, necrotic regions, or cells with residual endogenous peroxidase activity until controls resolve it (standard IHC practice). Interpret discordance with RNA cautiously because secreted variants can make tissue RNA and protein locations differ (HPA tissue IHC reliability description).
Boster reagents
Best AIMP1 / Aminoacyl tRNA synthase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1 IHC Antibodies
A03109 has real IHC staining data in mouse brain tissue at 5 μg/mL (catalog image caption); human, mouse, and rat are listed as reactive species (catalog reactivity).
Real IHC data
Anti-AIMP1 Antibody
Cat # A03109
A03109 will render with a mouse brain IHC image at 5 μg/mL (catalog image caption). It is listed for IHC-P (catalog applications), while its image documents mouse tissue only (catalog image caption).
Which to pick: Choose A03109 for paraffin-section tissue IHC: IHC-P is listed and its own image shows mouse brain staining (catalog applications; catalog image caption); the fixative and clonality are unreported (catalog image caption; catalog clone). No IF/ICC application or image is listed for A03109, so an IF/ICC pick is unsupported (catalog applications; catalog images). For cross-species IHC, A03109 lists human, mouse, and rat reactivity (catalog reactivity), but the IHC image documents mouse tissue only (catalog image caption).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q12904 (AIMP1_HUMAN, Aminoacyl tRNA synthase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1).
- Human Protein Atlas. AIMP1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
- Human Protein Atlas. AIMP1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. AIMP1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Response to anti-angiogenic therapy is affected by AIMP protein family activity in glioblastoma and lower-grade gliomas. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology 2025 — PMC11952521.
- AIMP1 promotes multiple myeloma malignancy through interacting with ANP32A to mediate histone H3 acetylation. Cancer communications (London, England) 2022 — PMC9648396.
- AIMP1 downregulation restores chondrogenic characteristics of dedifferentiated/degenerated chondrocytes by enhancing TGF-β signal. Cell death & disease 2016 — PMC5399188.
- Altered Smooth Muscle Cell Histone Acetylome by the SPHK2/S1P Axis Promotes Pulmonary Hypertension. Circulation research 2023 — PMC10543610.
- PubMed PMID:7929199 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for AIMP1 (Aminoacyl tRNA synthase complex-interacting multifunctional protein 1). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in tissue (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen). Validated IHC antibody: A03109 at 1:100–1:500 (standard starting range) (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Caudate (Neuronal cells); negative None in HPA (detected in all 45 tissues); use no-primary + isotype controls. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A03109); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0 , 20 min at 95–98 °C…; 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min , room temperature (standard); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-AIMP1, 1:100–1:500 starting range (standard); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (standard). Watch for: Fixation: Keep paraffin-section fixation consistent. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Secreted forms may separate protein staining from local RNA (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: Two isoforms; EMAP2 spans residues 147–312, so epitope location matters (UniProt); Regulation: Hypoxia can trigger secretion (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q12904, HPA tissue IHC · Supported, HPA ICC-IF · cytosol., Datasheet A03109, PMC9648396. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/AIMP1/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.