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BMPR1A / Bone morphogenetic protein receptor type-1A · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for BMPR1A
Use the catalog antibody at 2–5 μg/ml for BMPR1A paraffin-section IHC (datasheet A01581-1). Expect cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), and assess membrane signal separately given BMPR1A’s cell-surface topology (UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
BMPR1A 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 tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); cell surface expected (UniProt) | |
| Staining pattern | Cytoplasmic in most tissues; high in glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01581-1) | |
| Positive control | Gallbladder+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 paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Antibody staining and RNA expression show low consistency (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | High expression in skeletal muscle (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | No isoforms listed; extracellular versus cytoplasmic epitope matters (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended BMPR1A IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is paired with a published BMPR1A staining example using mouse fetal skeletal sections (PMC2694443).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human breast cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01581-1) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01581-1); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A01581-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A01581-1) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-BMPR1A, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A01581-1) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01581-1) |
| Detection | HRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet A01581-1) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | BMPR1A-positive staining in glandular cells of gallbladder (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in most tissues. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet A01581-1); the published excerpt does not specify retrieval (PMC2694443).
Section 2
What Is the Expected BMPR1A Staining Pattern?
BMPR1A is a cell-surface receptor with one transmembrane segment and an extracellular domain (UniProt P36894 topology). In tissue IHC, HPA reports cytoplasmic staining in most tissues, with high staining in gallbladder and stomach glandular cells, pancreatic exocrine cells, placental trophoblasts, and skeletal and smooth muscle cells (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates the IHC result Approved but reports low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC reliability).
| Cytoplasmic staining is strongest in gallbladder or stomach glandular cells, pancreatic exocrine cells, or myocytes. | This matches HPA's reported High cell-specific staining and its broader cytoplasmic tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). A visible cell-surface component is biologically plausible because BMPR1A is a transmembrane receptor (UniProt P36894 topology); HPA tissue IHC alone does not establish a required membrane outline. |
| The dominant signal is nuclear, with little cytoplasmic or cell-surface staining. | A predominantly nuclear pattern is discordant with HPA's cytoplasmic IHC profile, HPA's approved cytosol ICC-IF localization, and UniProt's cell-surface assignment (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular; UniProt P36894). Treat it as suspect and compare it with the assay controls before scoring it as BMPR1A. |
| Adipocytes or esophageal squamous epithelial cells stain as strongly as the selected positive cells. | HPA reports BMPR1A as Not detected in those respective cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). Unexpected staining could reflect antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic detection activity (general IHC practice); the HPA comparison is a reason to investigate, not proof of the cause. |
| Brown color covers extracellular areas or many unrelated cell populations without clear cellular boundaries. | Diffuse color is difficult to reconcile with the named cell-type differences and cytoplasmic profile reported by HPA (HPA tissue IHC). It may arise from nonspecific antibody binding, endogenous detection activity, or chromogen deposition (general IHC practice); assess the pattern with appropriate controls. |
| There is no detectable stain in a gallbladder or stomach glandular-cell section. | HPA reports High staining in those cell types, so a blank result calls for an assay check (HPA tissue IHC). It does not by itself establish that the specimen lacks BMPR1A: section quality, retrieval, antibody exposure, or detection can affect an IHC result (general IHC practice). |
💡Expected BMPR1A appearanceA credible positive is cell-associated, predominantly cytoplasmic staining in HPA-listed high-staining cells, potentially with a cell-surface component (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P36894 topology); strong nuclear-only staining or equally strong staining in HPA-listed undetected cells warrants investigation (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC).
| Compartment and epitope location | BMPR1A has extracellular residues 24–152, a transmembrane segment at 153–176, and cytoplasmic residues 177–532 (UniProt P36894 topology). These positions can guide interpretation if the antibody epitope is known; the supplied evidence does not locate that epitope or predict an IHC staining pattern from it. |
| Tissue and cell selection | HPA reports High staining in gallbladder glandular cells and skeletal-muscle myocytes, and Not detected staining in adipocytes and esophageal squamous epithelial cells (HPA tissue IHC). Compare the specified cells, rather than treating every cell in a tissue section as having the same expected intensity. |
| Strength of the IHC evidence | The tissue profile is rated Approved, with low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC reliability). The listed antibody CAB019398 has IHC status Approved (HPA antibodies); the supplied record does not assign it Enhanced validation. Use the observed pattern as a reference that still needs controls. |
| IF/ICC Q: What localization is reported? | HPA reports approved cytosol localization in ICC-IF, while UniProt assigns BMPR1A to the cell membrane and cell surface (HPA subcellular; UniProt P36894). These are source-specific observations for different applications; the cytosol result does not make a membrane-only tissue IHC pattern mandatory. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| A selected HPA high-staining cell population is blank. | Gallbladder and stomach glandular cells are reported as High, so the result differs from the reference pattern (HPA tissue IHC). A failed IHC step remains possible (general IHC practice). | Check section integrity and the detection control, then review the catalog antibody's IHC-P instructions and optimize retrieval or antibody exposure as general IHC variables; do not infer BMPR1A-specific fixation sensitivity from HPA. |
| All compartments show weak, diffuse brown color. | A uniform haze does not resolve HPA's reported differences among cell types (HPA tissue IHC). Nonspecific binding or detection background can produce diffuse color (general IHC practice). | Compare with a control lacking primary antibody; review blocking, washing, and chromogen development as general IHC steps. Score only cell-associated staining that can be distinguished from the background. |
| Nuclei dominate the stain. | Predominant nuclear staining conflicts with HPA's cytoplasmic tissue profile and cytosol ICC-IF result, as well as UniProt's cell-surface assignment (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular; UniProt P36894). | Verify the counterstain and compare the signal with controls; review antibody specificity before calling nuclear staining BMPR1A (general IHC practice). |
| HPA-listed undetected cells stain strongly. | Strong adipocyte or esophageal squamous-cell staining conflicts with the respective Not detected HPA entries (HPA tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible (general IHC practice). | Compare those cells with a positive reference and a control lacking primary antibody; examine the chromogenic detection background before interpreting the stain as target-specific (general IHC practice). |
| Only a sharp membrane rim appears in tissue IHC. | A membrane component is plausible from receptor topology, but HPA describes the tissue IHC profile as cytoplasmic expression in most tissues (UniProt P36894 topology; HPA tissue IHC). | Record membrane and cytoplasmic staining separately, and compare both with HPA-listed positive cell types (HPA tissue IHC). Avoid treating a membrane rim alone as confirmation of antibody specificity. |
| Staining varies across a section or between runs. | Uneven section processing, reagent coverage, or detection can alter chromogenic IHC appearance (general IHC practice). HPA's Approved profile has low consistency with RNA expression and cannot explain a run-specific change by itself (HPA tissue IHC reliability). | Review matched controls, tissue preservation, reagent coverage, and detection timing across the affected sections (general IHC practice); reassess the result against the same HPA-listed cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing BMPR1A staining
A01581-1 · IHCIHC analysis of BMPR1A using anti-BMPR1A antibody (A01581-1). BMPR1A was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human breast cancer tiss
A01581 · IHCFormalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human cancer tissue reacted with the primary antibody, which was peroxidase-conjugated to the secondary
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000107779-BMPR1A/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_4978936
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000107779-BMPR1A/tissue/colon#imid_4978846
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000107779-BMPR1A/tissue/liver#imid_4978855
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000107779-BMPR1A/tissue/kidney#imid_4978856
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody CAB019398; green = BMPR1A, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody CAB019398; green = BMPR1A, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for BMPR1A IHC & IF
🧪Run skeletal muscle first: myocytes should stain (HPA: High in skeletal-muscle myocytes). Use adipose tissue as a negative comparator (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); interstitial nonmyocytes on the muscle slide are candidate internal negatives and should show background-level signal only after their target status is confirmed.
Positive control tissue: Gallbladder (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show BMPR1A in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a matched nonimmune rabbit IgG control of the same antibody format (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary and anti-rabbit secondary); a BMPR1A-knockout sample, if available, provides a biological negative. Quench endogenous peroxidase for DAB detection and check muscle autofluorescence if using IF (standard IHC/IF practice).
⚠️Feasibility: The supplied evidence reports no target-specific fixation window or fixation effect, and the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not report a fixative. Start retrieval optimization with EDTA at pH 8.0, as used in that caption; its necessity across specimens is unreported (selected-SKU tissue-IHC caption). Paraffin IHC has a documented starting condition, while the evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier; assess skeletal-muscle autofluorescence separately for IF (standard IF practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for BMPR1A
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — Low 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
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallbladder | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Pancreas | Exocrine glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Placenta | Trophoblastic cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Skeletal muscle | Myocytes | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Smooth muscle | Smooth muscle cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Caudate | Glial 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 → |
| Fallopian tube | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced BMPR1A IHC Tips
Troubleshoot BMPR1A staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell type and controls before interpreting chromogenic signal.
Which retrieval condition should I start with for weak BMPR1A staining?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for paraffin sections stained with A01581-1 (datasheet A01581-1). The reported breast cancer section was processed with this buffer before overnight incubation at 4°C using 2 μg/ml primary antibody (datasheet A01581-1). If staining remains weak, compare a second retrieval condition on adjacent sections while keeping antibody concentration, detection and development constant (standard IHC practice). Score signal in the expected cells alongside background and section integrity, because stronger staining after harsher retrieval alone does not establish BMPR1A specificity (standard IHC practice).
How should I assess fixation when BMPR1A staining is weak or uneven?
The A01581-1 tissue caption identifies a paraffin section but does not state its fixative, so target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown (datasheet A01581-1). Record the actual fixative and processing history for each specimen, then compare sections prepared under matched conditions when investigating weak or uneven staining (standard IHC practice). Examine morphology before adjusting retrieval: poorly preserved tissue, detached edges and patchy staining make a biological comparison unreliable (standard IHC practice). Keep the reported EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and 2 μg/ml primary concentration constant during that comparison, then change one preparation variable at a time (datasheet A01581-1; standard IHC practice).
Should BMPR1A appear at the membrane or in the cytoplasm?
BMPR1A is annotated at the cell surface, with an extracellular segment at residues 24–152, a transmembrane segment at 153–176 and a cytoplasmic region at 177–532 (UniProt P36894 topology). Tissue IHC reports cytoplasmic staining in most tissues, while approved ICC/IF localisation is cytosolic (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). In chromogenic sections, record membranous and cytoplasmic signal separately rather than treating either pattern as proof of specificity (standard IHC practice). Check the relevant cell type, morphology and a negative control before accepting diffuse staining, especially when the apparent compartment changes across sections processed together (standard IHC practice).
What can I infer about the recognised BMPR1A epitope?
The supplied record lists 0 isoforms, but the tissue caption does not identify the A01581-1 epitope (UniProt P36894 isoforms; datasheet A01581-1). BMPR1A has an extracellular region at residues 24–152 and a cytoplasmic region at 177–532; residue 73 is a glycosylation site (UniProt P36894 topology and glycosylation). Without an epitope map, do not assign cytoplasmic staining to a particular receptor domain or explain retrieval performance by that glycosylation site (standard interpretation practice). If epitope location becomes available, use it to reassess accessibility after section processing and compare staining with an independently supported BMPR1A assay (standard IHC practice).
How can I investigate BMPR1A by IF alongside tissue IHC?
Treat IF as a separate assay: the A01581-1 paraffin-section caption documents chromogenic tissue IHC, whereas the HPA subcellular record reports cytosolic ICC/IF localisation (datasheet A01581-1; HPA subcellular). Multiplex BMPR1A with a validated marker for the expected cell type and include single-label controls to check channel bleed-through (standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after inspecting tissue autofluorescence, and compare stained sections with a no-primary control in each channel (standard IF practice). Because the A01581-1 epitope is unspecified, optimise permeabilisation cautiously: an intracellular epitope requires access through the membrane, while an exposed extracellular epitope may be assessed without it (UniProt P36894 topology; standard IF practice).
How do I reduce diffuse brown signal without losing BMPR1A staining?
The reported workflow used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody and DAB development after peroxidase-based detection (datasheet A01581-1). Begin with a no-primary section to identify detection-related background, and include a peroxidase block before the detection step as general chromogenic IHC practice (standard IHC practice). If diffuse signal persists, compare shorter chromogen development or a lower primary concentration on matched sections, preserving the EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval condition initially (datasheet A01581-1; standard IHC practice). Assess background outside intact cells separately from cellular staining, and avoid scoring folds, damaged edges or necrotic areas as BMPR1A signal (standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify BMPR1A staining across paraffin sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell compartment and cell population before scoring, since tissue IHC describes predominantly cytoplasmic expression while BMPR1A is also annotated as a cell-surface receptor (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P36894 subcellular). For comparable sections, report the percentage of positive target cells and an H-score based on staining intensity, using the same threshold and DAB development conditions throughout (standard IHC practice). Normalise positive-cell counts to all evaluable cells of that type, or stained area to the evaluable tissue area in mm² (standard IHC practice). Exclude necrosis and artefactual edges, and document whether membranous and cytoplasmic signals were scored together or separately (standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish convincing BMPR1A staining from artefact?
Look for reproducible cellular staining in intact tissue, supported by appropriate controls and consistent processing across compared sections (standard IHC practice). High IHC signal is reported in skeletal-muscle myocytes and several glandular populations, while adipocytes are reported as not detected; these are useful reference patterns, not validation of every antibody (HPA tissue IHC). Reconsider signal restricted to damaged edges or necrosis, or brown deposits also present in a no-primary control, before calling a section positive (standard IHC practice). Interpret compartment cautiously: UniProt places BMPR1A at the cell surface, HPA tissue IHC reports cytoplasmic staining, and HPA flags low consistency between staining and RNA expression (UniProt P36894 subcellular; HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents
Best BMPR1A / Bone morphogenetic protein receptor type-1A IHC Antibodies
Both catalog antibodies have human tissue IHC images (catalog IHC captions); neither lists IF/ICC or provides an IF image (catalog applications and images).
Real IHC data
Anti-BMPR1A Antibody ®
Cat # A01581-1
Real IHC data
Anti-BMPR1A Antibody (C-term)
Cat # A01581
A01581-1 is listed for IHC and shown on a paraffin-embedded human breast cancer section (catalog applications; A01581-1 image caption). A01581 is listed for IHC-P and shown on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human cancer tissue (catalog applications; A01581 image caption).
Which to pick: For a documented human tissue IHC starting point, choose A01581-1 for paraffin sections; its image used 2 μg/ml primary antibody, and the fixative is unreported (A01581-1 image caption). Choose A01581 for paraffin-section, paraffin-embedded human tissue; its image uses AEC detection, and its listed IHC-P dilution is 1:50–1:100 (A01581 image caption; catalog dilution). For other species, A01581 lists mouse reactivity and A01581-1 lists rat reactivity, but their pictured IHC samples are human; neither SKU has listed IF/ICC validation, so neither is an evidence-backed IF/ICC pick (catalog reactivity, applications and images). The selected A01581-1 tissue-IHC caption documents paraffin sections, but does not specify the fixative (selected-SKU IHC image A01581-1).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P36894 (BMR1A_HUMAN, Bone morphogenetic protein receptor type-1A).
- Human Protein Atlas. BMPR1A tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
- Human Protein Atlas. BMPR1A subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. BMPR1A antibody validation summary (1 antibodies).
- Loss of bone morphogenetic protein signaling in fibroblasts results in CXCL12-driven serrated polyp development. Journal of gastroenterology 2023 — PMC9825358.
- Bone morphogenetic protein 4 inhibits rat stem/progenitor Leydig cell development and regeneration via SMAD-dependent and SMAD-independent signaling. Cell death & disease 2022 — PMC9748027.
- BMP-9 expression in human traumatic heterotopic ossification: a case report. Skeletal muscle 2013 — PMC3878643.
- BMP signaling negatively regulates bone mass through sclerostin by inhibiting the canonical Wnt pathway. Development (Cambridge, England) 2008 — PMC2694443.
- PubMed PMID:8397373 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for BMPR1A (Bone morphogenetic protein receptor type-1A). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); cell surface expected (UniProt). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01581-1). Validated IHC antibody: A01581-1 at 2-5 μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Gallbladder (Glandular cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human breast cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01581-1); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01581-1); 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 retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A01581-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A01581-1); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-BMPR1A, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A01581-1); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01581-1). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Antibody staining and RNA expression show low consistency (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: No isoforms listed; extracellular versus cytoplasmic epitope matters (UniProt); Regulation: High expression in skeletal muscle (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt P36894, HPA tissue IHC · Approved, HPA ICC-IF · cytosol., Datasheet A01581-1, PMC2694443. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/BMPR1A/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.