AK5 / Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 5 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for AK5

Plan AK5 IHC in paraffin sections using neuronal cytoplasmic staining as the expected pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Compare staining across consistently fixed sections and assess unexpected cell staining in light of HPA's reported off-target binding (HPA tissue IHC).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for AK5 (IHC for AK5): expected localisation Neuronal cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A11378, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable AK5 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Neuronal cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A11378, controls and protocol steps. Open the full AK5 IHC guide →

AK5 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 Neuronal cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic staining in neuronal cells; texture unreported (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen)
Positive control ⓘ Cerebral cortex+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 sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Presumed off-target staining was disregarded (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Brain-enriched RNA expression (HPA tissue RNA)
Isoform / epitope 3 isoforms; epitope coverage unknown (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended AK5 IHC & IF Protocols

Compare the catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet) with the published AK5 colorectal tumour tissue microarray method (PMC8209216).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A11378)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A11378); 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-AK5, 1:100-1:300 (datasheet A11378)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (standard)
DetectionHRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultAK5-positive staining in neuronal cells of cerebral cortex (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in neuronal cells. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with citrate pH 6.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page antigen retrieval); the published method does not specify retrieval for AK5 (PMC8209216).
Section 2

What Is the Expected AK5 Staining Pattern?

AK5 is a cytoplasmic protein with no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q9Y6K8). In paraffin-section IHC, expect cytoplasmic staining chiefly in neuronal cells, particularly in cerebral cortex and hippocampus (HPA: cytoplasmic neuronal expression; High in both regions). HPA rates the tissue IHC profile Enhanced, while noting medium agreement with RNA data and presumed off-target binding that was disregarded (HPA: reliability description).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic chromogen in cortical or hippocampal neurons; signal is stronger than the local background.This matches the reported compartment and cell type (HPA: cytoplasmic neuronal expression). Both regions have High neuronal staining (HPA: cerebral cortex and hippocampus). Judge the pattern by cell identity and localisation as well as intensity; a dark deposit alone does not establish a specific AK5 signal.
Predominantly nuclear, sharply outlined membrane, or broad extracellular staining.These patterns conflict with the expected cytoplasmic localisation (UniProt Q9Y6K8: cytoplasm; no transmembrane segment; HPA: cytoplasmic neuronal expression). Treat a dominant signal in another compartment as suspect. Check morphology and compare the slide with appropriate staining controls before assigning that signal to AK5.
Strong staining in adipocytes, marrow hematopoietic cells, or bronchial respiratory epithelium.Those cell types are reported Not detected in HPA tissue IHC (HPA: adipose tissue, bone marrow, bronchus). Investigate antibody cross-reactivity or chromogenic background, including endogenous detection activity. Cell type matters: HPA also reports High staining in duodenal and small-intestinal endocrine cells, so staining outside neurons is not automatically an artefact (HPA: tissue IHC).
A diffuse wash of colour covers cells and spaces, obscuring cytoplasmic boundaries.The expected readout is cellular and cytoplasmic (HPA: cytoplasmic neuronal expression). As general IHC practice, assess the no-primary control, blocking, washing, and detection conditions for nonspecific background. Avoid scoring a uniform haze as AK5 merely because it appears in a tissue with reported positive cells.
No discernible neuronal signal in cerebral cortex or hippocampus.Both are reported High in neuronal cells (HPA: cerebral cortex and hippocampus). First confirm that neurons and the tissue section are intact. Then review the antibody's IHC-P validation and the run controls; general IHC variables such as retrieval, antibody dilution, and detection may need optimisation. The supplied sources do not establish AK5-specific fixation sensitivity.
💡Expected AK5 appearanceCall a section positive when cortical or hippocampal neurons show clear cytoplasmic staining above background, consistent with their reported High level (HPA: tissue IHC); dominant nuclear, membrane-outline, extracellular, or cell-free colour is a suspect pattern (UniProt Q9Y6K8: cytoplasm and no transmembrane segment; HPA: cytoplasmic neuronal expression).
How each factor affects the staining
Tissue and cell selectionCerebral cortex and hippocampus provide reported High neuronal staining (HPA: tissue IHC). HPA also lists High intestinal endocrine staining and several Medium non-neuronal patterns (HPA: tissue IHC). Choose and score a defined cell population; UniProt describes AK5 as brain specific, so the non-brain IHC observations warrant cautious interpretation (UniProt Q9Y6K8: tissue specificity; HPA: reliability description).
Compartment and topologyCytoplasm is the annotated location, and AK5 has no transmembrane segment or signal peptide (UniProt Q9Y6K8: subcellular location, topology, processing). The primary IHC readout is cytoplasmic neuronal staining (HPA: tissue IHC). These annotations support a compartment check; they do not identify an antibody epitope or predict retrieval performance.
Antibody evidenceTwo listed rabbit polyclonal antibodies have Enhanced IHC status (HPA: HPA019128 and HPA057255). HPA nevertheless reports medium consistency between staining and RNA expression and notes presumed off-target binding that was disregarded (HPA: reliability description). Use the reported cell and compartment pattern when interpreting an unfamiliar signal.
IF/ICC: what localisation should I expect?Mainly cytosolic signal, with an additional centriolar-satellite location, is reported for ICC-IF (HPA: subcellular summary). The main cytosol location is Supported and the additional location Approved (HPA: subcellular validation). This is context for IF interpretation; tissue IHC reports cytoplasmic neuronal expression (HPA: tissue IHC).
Isoform coverageThree isoforms are listed (UniProt Q9Y6K8: isoforms 1, 2, 3). The supplied sources do not map the listed antibodies' epitopes to those isoforms, so isoform-specific staining cannot be inferred. If isoform coverage matters to the experiment, check antibody documentation before treating a negative section as absence of every AK5 isoform.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Positive-control neurons are blank.Cortical and hippocampal neurons are reported High (HPA: tissue IHC); a blank result could reflect a failed staining run or a section issue.Confirm neuron preservation and run-control performance. As general IHC practice, review retrieval, primary dilution, incubation, and detection against the antibody's IHC-P instructions; the sources provide no AK5-specific fixation-effect claim.
Signal appears mainly in nuclei or along plasma membranes.A dominant nuclear or membrane pattern conflicts with cytoplasmic AK5 localisation (UniProt Q9Y6K8; HPA: tissue IHC).Recheck cell boundaries and counterstain, then compare positive tissue and no-primary controls. Repeat with an independently validated antibody if the discordant compartment persists; both listed HPA antibodies have Enhanced IHC status (HPA: antibodies).
Chromogen covers the section uniformly.Uniform colour can obscure the reported cytoplasmic neuronal pattern (HPA: tissue IHC); background may arise from detection chemistry or nonspecific binding in a chromogenic IHC run.Use a no-primary control to localise the background source. As general IHC practice, review endogenous-enzyme blocking where applicable, reagent concentration, blocking, and washes before scoring individual cells.
Strong signal occurs in an HPA Not detected cell population.Staining in adipocytes, marrow hematopoietic cells, or bronchial respiratory epithelium disagrees with their reported levels (HPA: tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or detection background is possible.Verify cell identity and compare controls and positive neurons. Consider a second IHC-validated antibody if the signal is reproducible; the HPA tissue profile itself notes presumed off-target binding (HPA: reliability description).
Intestinal endocrine cells stain despite the brain-enriched RNA profile.HPA reports High IHC staining in duodenal and small-intestinal endocrine cells, while its RNA profile is brain enriched (HPA: tissue IHC and RNA specificity).Record the observed cell type and compartment without assuming specificity from intensity alone. Interpret with HPA's medium staining–RNA consistency and presumed off-target-binding caveat (HPA: reliability description).
Only faint neuronal staining is visible.Cortical and hippocampal neurons are reported High in HPA IHC (HPA: tissue IHC), but visual intensity can vary between staining runs as a general IHC consideration.Compare the positive tissue, negative control, and cell-level background in the same run. If separation is poor, optimise the catalog antibody's IHC-P conditions and detection while preserving a readable counterstain; do not assign an AK5-specific fixation cause from these sources.

Sample controls for AK5 IHC & IF

🧪Run cerebral cortex first and score neuronal cells for staining (HPA: High in cerebral cortex neuronal cells). Use adipose tissue as the biological negative (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the cortex slide, cells without specific staining should show only background chromogen, without assuming every non-neuronal cell is AK5-negative (HPA: neuronal cells are High).
Positive control tissue: Cerebral cortex (Neuronal cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show AK5 in LHCN-M2, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and host-species-matched nonimmune IgG or isotype controls appropriate to the primary antibody’s clonality (standard IHC practice); use AK5 knockout material or peptide blocking as a specificity control (catalog antibody A11378 tissue-IHC caption: signal blocked with synthesized peptide). Quench endogenous peroxidase for chromogenic detection and assess brain autofluorescence if using IF (standard IHC/IF practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A human brain paraffin-section IHC image is reported for A11378, but its fixative is unreported; the caption does not establish fixation (catalog antibody A11378 tissue-IHC caption). A target-specific fixation window and antigen-retrieval dependency are unreported in the supplied evidence, so whether frozen sections or IF are easier remains undetermined. Brain autofluorescence can complicate IF interpretation (standard IF practice); expected AK5 signal is primarily cytosolic (HPA: Cytosol supported; UniProt Q9Y6K8: Cytoplasm). The selected A11378 tissue-IHC caption documents paraffin sections, but does not specify the fixative (selected-SKU IHC image A11378).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for AK5

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
Cerebral cortex Neuronal cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Duodenum Endocrine cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Hippocampus Neuronal cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Small intestine Endocrine cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Glandular cells Medium 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 →
Bronchus Respiratory epithelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cervix Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Endometrium Cells in endometrial stroma Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced AK5 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot chromogenic AK5 staining in paraffin sections using tissue and subcellular evidence, with IF/ICC guidance for cross-checking localisation.

How should I retrieve AK5 in paraffin sections when neuronal staining is weak?
Start with citrate buffer at pH 6.0, heated to 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval rule). After cooling, compare a retrieval series on adjacent sections while holding antibody concentration and chromogen development constant (standard IHC practice). If staining remains weak, test an alternative retrieval buffer as a fallback and check whether neuronal cytoplasmic signal improves without increasing diffuse background (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in neuronal cells; standard IHC practice). The selected A11378 image documents staining in paraffin-embedded human brain tissue and peptide blocking, but its caption gives no retrieval conditions (A11378 caption).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven AK5 staining?
Target-specific sensitivity of AK5 to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the A11378 caption identifies paraffin-embedded human brain tissue but does not state its fixative (A11378 caption). Record the fixative, fixation duration, tissue thickness and processing history for each block before comparing staining intensity (standard IHC practice). On matched sections, keep retrieval at citrate pH 6.0, 95–98 °C for 20 min, and use the same detection conditions to isolate processing differences (page retrieval rule; standard IHC practice). Assess neuronal cytoplasm alongside tissue preservation and background; a staining difference alone cannot establish a fixation effect specific to AK5 (HPA: neuronal cytoplasmic expression; standard IHC practice).
Which staining pattern supports AK5 localisation in brain sections?
Expect cytoplasmic staining in neuronal cells, particularly when assessing cerebral cortex or hippocampus (HPA: cytoplasmic neuronal expression; high staining in cerebral cortex and hippocampus). AK5 is annotated as cytoplasmic and has no transmembrane segment, so dominant nuclear or sharply membrane-restricted chromogen warrants scrutiny (UniProt Q9Y6K8: subcellular location and topology). HPA IF data additionally place AK5 mainly in the cytosol and at centriolar satellites, but that small additional compartment should not be inferred from diffuse chromogenic staining (HPA: subcellular localisation; standard microscopy practice). Compare neuronal morphology and a no-primary control on adjacent sections before assigning an unexpected compartment to AK5 (standard IHC practice).
How can isoforms or epitope accessibility affect AK5 IHC interpretation?
AK5 has three annotated isoforms, but the supplied A11378 caption does not identify its immunising peptide or which isoforms it recognises (UniProt Q9Y6K8: isoforms 1, 2 and 3; A11378 caption). The image includes a synthesized-peptide blocking condition, which supports competition of that antibody's staining but does not establish isoform specificity (A11378 caption; standard antibody-validation practice). Map the antibody epitope against the isoform sequences if sequence information becomes available, then compare staining with an independently validated reagent (standard antibody-validation practice). Because AK5 has no annotated signal peptide, propeptide or glycosylation sites, do not assign an unusual compartment or cell pattern to processing without further evidence (UniProt Q9Y6K8: processing and glycosylation).
How should I cross-check AK5 localisation by IF/ICC?
For a parallel IF/ICC check, pair AK5 with an independently validated neuronal marker and assess whether signals occupy the same cells while remaining chiefly cytosolic (HPA: neuronal tissue staining and supported cytosol localisation; standard IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and a channel that limits interference from tissue autofluorescence, checking unstained and single-label controls before interpreting overlap (standard IF practice). AK5 has no transmembrane segment and is mainly cytosolic, so use a controlled permeabilisation step to expose its intracellular epitope and avoid excessive extraction (UniProt Q9Y6K8: topology; HPA: subcellular localisation; standard IF practice). Treat IF/ICC as a localisation cross-check; the A11378 caption documents paraffin tissue IHC, not IF/ICC performance (A11378 caption).
What should I change when AK5 chromogen is widespread?
First compare neuronal cytoplasm with a no-primary control and a matched section receiving the same retrieval, secondary reagent and chromogen timing (HPA: neuronal cytoplasmic profile; standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase before peroxidase-based detection, use an appropriate protein block, and titrate the primary antibody and detection time when background rises (standard chromogenic IHC practice). Keep the citrate retrieval starting point at pH 6.0 for 20 min; examine whether longer heating or stronger detection increases staining outside expected cells (page retrieval rule; standard IHC practice). HPA reports presumed off-target binding in its tissue dataset, so diffuse non-neuronal staining needs independent confirmation rather than automatic assignment to AK5 (HPA: reliability description).
How should I score AK5 staining across brain sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define neuronal regions and score cytoplasmic staining in identifiable cells, using either an H-score based on intensity and percentage positive or a percentage-positive measure (HPA: neuronal cytoplasmic profile; standard IHC quantification practice). For cell counts, report AK5-positive neuronal cells per mm² and normalise to the total neuronal count or evaluable tissue area within the same region (standard IHC quantification practice). Hold section thickness, citrate pH 6.0 retrieval and chromogen development constant across samples (page retrieval rule; standard IHC practice). Exclude folds, necrosis and edges from the scored area, and report cell identification and thresholds before comparing samples (standard histology and image-analysis practice).
How can I distinguish credible AK5 staining from artefact?
Give greatest weight to neuronal cytoplasmic staining in cerebral cortex or hippocampus, where HPA reports high neuronal signal (HPA: tissue IHC profile). Question dominant nuclear or membrane staining because AK5 is cytoplasmic, mainly cytosolic and lacks a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q9Y6K8: location and topology; HPA: subcellular localisation). Inspect section edges and necrotic areas for nonspecific deposition, and use no-primary plus peroxidase-block controls to identify detection artefact from endogenous enzyme activity (standard chromogenic IHC practice). The A11378 peptide-blocked image supports competition in paraffin-embedded human brain tissue, but HPA's noted presumed off-target binding makes independent antibody or orthogonal evidence valuable for unexpected cell types (A11378 caption; HPA: reliability description; standard antibody-validation practice).
Boster reagents

Best AK5 / Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 5 IHC Antibodies

Two rabbit polyclonal anti-AK5 antibodies list IHC and IF applications for human and mouse samples; one also lists rat reactivity (catalog: applications, reactivity, clonality). Both have IHC images (catalog: IHC image captions).

Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry analysis of paraffin-embedded human brain tissue, using AK5 Antibody. The picture on the right is blocked with the synthesized peptide.
Anti-Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 5 AK5 Antibody
Cat # A11378
Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded rat brain using AK5 antibody at dilution of 1:100 .Perform microwave antigen retrieval with 10 mM PBS buffer pH 7.2 before commencing with IHC staining protocol.
Anti-Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 5 AK5 Antibody
Cat # A11378-1

A11378 lists human and mouse reactivity and IF and IHC applications; its IHC image shows paraffin-embedded human brain with a peptide-blocked comparison (catalog: A11378 applications, reactivity and IHC image caption). A11378-1 lists human, mouse and rat reactivity and IF, ICC and IHC applications; its IHC image shows paraffin-embedded rat brain (catalog: A11378-1 applications, reactivity and IHC image caption).

Which to pick: For human brain paraffin-section IHC, start with A11378 because its own IHC image uses that sample; the caption does not report the fixative (catalog: A11378 IHC image caption). For IF/ICC, choose A11378-1 if ICC is required: it lists both applications, whereas A11378 lists IF; both are rabbit polyclonal antibodies, and neither has an IF image in the supplied catalog (catalog: applications, clonality and IF image captions). For rat work, choose A11378-1 because it lists rat reactivity and shows rat brain paraffin-section IHC; its caption does not report the fixative (catalog: A11378-1 reactivity and IHC image caption).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q9Y6K8 (KAD5_HUMAN, Adenylate kinase isoenzyme 5).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. AK5 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. AK5 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the cytosol. In addition localized to the centriolar satellites..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. AK5 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Identification of novel DNA hypermethylation of the adenylate kinase 5 promoter in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Scientific reports 2021 — PMC8209216.
  6. Construction of a Prognostic Model of Prostate Cancer Based on Immune and Metabolic Genes and Experimental Validation of the Gene AK5. Oncology research 2025 — PMC12573196.
  7. PubMed PMID:10215863 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  8. PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  9. PubMed PMID:16959763 — UniProt-cited evidence.