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CAVIN1 / Caveolae-associated protein 1 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for CAVIN1
Plan CAVIN1 staining in paraffin sections using the IHC-validated antibody at 1–2 μg/ml (datasheet: A31732-2). Compare staining in blood vessels and adipocytes, and interpret tissue staining separately from the annotated caveolar and cytosolic localisation (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
CAVIN1 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 | Caveolar and cytosolic localisation is annotated; the tissue-IHC compartment is unspecified (UniProt; HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Mainly blood vessels and adipocytes; compartment unspecified (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A31732-2) | |
| Positive control | Adipose tissue+4 more · see all | |
| Negative control | Adrenal gland+4 more · see all |
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
| Fixation | Keep formalin fixation consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Vessels and adipocytes may dominate tissue signal (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Insulin shifts CAVIN1 from caveolae to cytoplasm (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | Three isoforms; no transmembrane segment; map the antibody epitope (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended CAVIN1 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is paired with published CAVIN1 staining methods for lung sections (PMC8107102) and formalin-fixed tissue sections (PMC3636273).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human glioblastoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A31732-2) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A31732-2); 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 A31732-2); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A31732-2) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-CAVIN1, 1-2 μg/ml (datasheet A31732-2) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A31732-2) |
| Detection | HRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet A31732-2) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | CAVIN1-positive staining in adipocytes of adipose tissue (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Expression mainly in blood vessels and adipocytes. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet A31732-2). Heated citric acid was used for some antibodies, but was not assigned specifically to CAVIN1 (PMC3636273).
Section 2
What Is the Expected CAVIN1 Staining Pattern?
CAVIN1 is associated with caveolae and the cell membrane, without a transmembrane segment; UniProt also lists cytosolic and nuclear locations (UniProt Q6NZI2 topology and subcellular location). In paraffin-section IHC, expect staining mainly in blood vessels and adipocytes, with high staining reported in several other cell types (HPA: tissue IHC). HPA rates the tissue pattern Supported, with medium consistency between staining and RNA data (HPA: tissue IHC reliability).
| Strong staining outlines adipocytes or follows blood vessels, with limited diffuse background. | This fits the reported tissue distribution and caveola-associated location (HPA: expression mainly in blood vessels and adipocytes; UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location). Judge the stained cells and compartment together; intensity alone does not establish specificity (general IHC practice). |
| The signal is exclusively nuclear, or it broadly fills cells without a discernible membrane-associated component. | This differs from the principal membrane pattern (HPA: plasma membrane, ICC-IF; UniProt Q6NZI2: caveolae and cell membrane). UniProt also lists the nucleus and cytosol, so these locations alone cannot prove an artefact; compare controls and morphology before rejecting the result (UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location; general IHC practice). |
| Strong chromogen appears in a cell population reported as undetected, such as adrenal glandular cells. | That conflicts with the reference cell-level observation, although nearby structures may differ (HPA: adrenal glandular cells Not detected; tissue IHC profile). Check primary-omission and detection controls for background or endogenous activity, then assess antibody specificity (general IHC practice). |
| Color spreads across tissue, section edges, or empty areas instead of following identifiable cells. | A diffuse pattern cannot be scored as CAVIN1-positive cells against the reported cell-level distribution (HPA: tissue IHC). Review washing, blocking, detection development, and section quality with controls (general IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes and blood vessels show no convincing signal in an otherwise interpretable section. | Both are expected sites, so a negative result calls for a positive-control section and review of the catalog antibody’s IHC-P conditions (HPA: tissue IHC profile; general IHC practice). Absence in a single specimen does not establish biological loss. |
💡Expected CAVIN1 appearanceCall a positive result when interpretable, mainly membrane-associated staining appears in blood vessels or adipocytes, with high adipocyte staining expected; diffuse color or strong signal in an HPA-undetected cell population warrants control review (HPA: tissue IHC and ICC-IF; UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location).
| Subcellular distribution | Caveolae and the cell membrane are listed alongside cytosolic and nuclear locations; CAVIN1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q6NZI2 topology and subcellular location). Interpret compartment patterns in their cellular context. |
| Cell-type distribution | High staining is reported in adipocytes, breast myoepithelial cells, kidney Bowman's capsule, lung alveolar type I cells, and smooth muscle cells (HPA: tissue IHC). Choose a reference cell type visible on the section. |
| Isoforms and processing | UniProt lists 3 isoforms and a chain spanning residues 1–390, with no signal peptide or propeptide (UniProt Q6NZI2). The supplied record does not identify the antibody epitope or establish isoform-specific IHC staining. |
| Antibody evidence | HPA049838 has Supported IHC status; HPA074213 has no supplied IHC status, though both have Supported ICC status (HPA: antibody validation). Apply IHC evidence to the antibody actually used. |
| IF/ICC Q&A: what pattern should IF show? | Mainly plasma membrane fluorescence, with additional vesicular signal, is reported in ICC-IF (HPA: supported plasma membrane; approved vesicles). This is an IF interpretation cue, not an IHC-P protocol or proof that every tissue section will show vesicles. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No stain in an adipocyte-rich reference area | The expected positive cells are present, but assay performance is uncertain (HPA: High in adipocytes; general IHC practice). | Confirm cell preservation and run a known-positive section; review the catalog antibody’s IHC-P retrieval, dilution, and detection instructions without assuming CAVIN1-specific fixation sensitivity (general IHC practice). |
| Vessels stain, but nearby cells do not | Cell-type differences are expected; HPA describes expression mainly in blood vessels and adipocytes (HPA: tissue IHC profile). | Identify the unstained cell type before scoring the field; compare it with HPA cell-level observations rather than calling the whole section negative (HPA: tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| Strong stain occurs in an HPA-undetected cell type | Off-target binding or endogenous detection activity is possible; the observation conflicts with that cell-level reference (HPA: tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Check primary-omission and detection controls, then reassess localization and the IHC validation status of the antibody used (HPA: antibody validation; general IHC practice). |
| Background obscures cell borders | Excess chromogen development, insufficient washing, or nonspecific binding can obscure localization (general IHC practice). | Review development time, washing, blocking, and control sections before interpreting membrane-associated staining (general IHC practice; UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location). |
| Only nuclear staining is visible | A nuclear location is listed, but an exclusively nuclear pattern differs from the main membrane localization reported by HPA ICC-IF (UniProt Q6NZI2; HPA: subcellular). | Check controls and cell morphology, and compare with a membrane-positive reference area before assigning specificity or artefact (HPA: tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| Two antibodies yield different patterns | The supplied validation differs by application: HPA049838 has Supported IHC status, whereas HPA074213 has no supplied IHC status (HPA: antibody validation). | Document each antibody separately and prioritize its own IHC evidence; do not transfer an ICC-IF result into an IHC-P validation claim (HPA: antibody validation; general IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing CAVIN1 staining
A31732-2 · IHCIHC analysis of PTRF/CAVIN1 using anti-PTRF/CAVIN1 antibody (A31732-2). PTRF/CAVIN1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human gli
A31732-2 · IHCIHC analysis of PTRF/CAVIN1 using anti-PTRF/CAVIN1 antibody (A31732-2). PTRF/CAVIN1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human thy
A31732-2 · IFIF analysis of PTRF/CAVIN1 using anti-PTRF/CAVIN1 antibody (A31732-2). PTRF/CAVIN1 was detected in an immunocytochemical section of Hela cel
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000177469-CAVIN1/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_14163188
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000177469-CAVIN1/tissue/colon#imid_14163106
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000177469-CAVIN1/tissue/liver#imid_14163123
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000177469-CAVIN1/tissue/kidney#imid_14163116
HPA · ICC-IF A-549Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-549, antibody HPA049838; green = CAVIN1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-549Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-549, antibody HPA049838; green = CAVIN1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for CAVIN1 IHC & IF
🧪Run adipose tissue first; adipocytes should stain strongly (HPA: High in adipocytes). Use bone marrow hematopoietic cells as the negative comparison (HPA: Not detected in hematopoietic cells); any independently verified CAVIN1-negative cells on the adipose slide should show counterstain with only background-level DAB, although the supplied HPA row does not identify an internal negative cell type (HPA: adipose tissue row).
Positive control tissue: Adipose tissue (Adipocytes, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adrenal gland (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show CAVIN1 in A-549, U-251MG, U2OS, BJ [Human fibroblast], NIH 3T3, with annotated localisation: Plasma membrane (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a rabbit IgG isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s class and, if known, clonality (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary; standard IHC practice). Confirm specificity with CAVIN1 knockout material or a validated immunizing-peptide block, and quench endogenous peroxidase when using HRP/DAB on adipose sections (standard IHC practice; selected-SKU caption: HRP/DAB).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not state the fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative unreported). Heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 was used, but retrieval dependence has not been established; the supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier (selected-SKU caption: EDTA pH 8.0; HPA: ICC-IF localization). In adipose sections, assess staining around lipid vacuoles carefully because paraffin processing can leave empty lipid spaces and misleading edges (standard histology practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for CAVIN1
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Supported — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Antibody staining in cells/structures not annotated, view images.). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Myoepithelial cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Kidney | Bowman's capsule | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Lung | Alveolar cells type I | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Smooth muscle | Smooth muscle cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenal gland | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Appendix | Endocrine cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Caudate | Glial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebellum | Cells in granular layer | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced CAVIN1 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot CAVIN1 staining in paraffin sections using the catalog antibody’s tissue IHC conditions, expected cell patterns, and compartment controls.
How should I retrieve CAVIN1 when a paraffin section stains weakly?
Start with heat mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 (datasheet A31732-2). The reported paraffin section was then blocked with 10% goat serum and incubated with 2 μg/ml antibody overnight at 4°C (caption A31732-2). If staining remains weak, compare retrieval duration on adjacent sections while holding antibody concentration and detection conditions constant (standard IHC practice). Include a known positive compartment, such as adipocytes, because they show high CAVIN1 staining (HPA tissue IHC). Excessive retrieval can damage morphology or raise background, so assess staining alongside tissue preservation and a no primary control (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven CAVIN1 staining?
Target specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown: the catalog image describes a paraffin section but does not state its fixative (caption A31732-2). Record each specimen’s fixative, fixation duration, processing history, and section age before comparing staining between cases (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval at EDTA pH 8.0 and the primary antibody at 2 μg/ml during an initial comparison, as reported for the catalog image (caption A31732-2). Compare morphology and staining in the same expected cell compartment across sections processed together (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). Do not attribute a difference to fixation until processing and staining variation have been assessed (standard IHC practice).
What staining pattern should I expect for CAVIN1 in tissue sections?
Assess staining at cell boundaries and in cytoplasm: CAVIN1 associates with caveolae and has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q6NZI2 topology and subcellular location). Plasma membrane is the main reported location, with vesicles additionally observed by ICC/IF (HPA subcellular). In tissue IHC, prioritize the expected cell population over a single punctate pattern; HPA reports high staining in adipocytes, smooth muscle cells, and lung alveolar cells type I (HPA tissue IHC). CAVIN1 can also occupy cytosol and nucleus, and insulin stimulation can shift it from caveolae to cytoplasm (UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location). Compare compartments against matched morphology and controls before calling diffuse staining specific (standard IHC practice).
Could epitope placement explain discordant CAVIN1 staining?
CAVIN1 has 3 annotated isoforms, but this payload does not specify which sequence the catalog antibody recognizes (UniProt Q6NZI2 isoforms; caption A31732-2). Its chain spans residues 1–390 and lacks a transmembrane segment, so membrane associated staining does not itself identify an epitope (UniProt Q6NZI2 processing and topology). Annotated modifications include phosphoserines at residues 36, 40, 46, and 118; their effect on this antibody’s staining is unknown (UniProt Q6NZI2 modified residues). Obtain the immunogen or mapped epitope before making isoform specific claims (standard IHC practice). When comparing antibodies, hold retrieval and tissue processing constant and judge agreement in the same cells (standard IHC practice).
How can IF help resolve an ambiguous chromogenic CAVIN1 pattern?
Use a separate IF/ICC validation workflow and multiplex CAVIN1 with an independently validated marker for the cell type being assessed, such as adipocytes or smooth muscle cells (HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores in channels with low tissue autofluorescence, then inspect single stained controls for bleed through before interpreting colocalization (standard IF practice). CAVIN1 has no transmembrane segment and can occupy caveolae and cytosol; choose permeabilisation to expose the antibody’s mapped epitope on its accessible side (UniProt Q6NZI2 topology and subcellular location; standard IF practice). The epitope is unspecified here, so test permeabilisation conditions empirically rather than assuming a membrane facing epitope (caption A31732-2; standard IF practice). Compare any IF result with the cell level distribution in the paraffin section, without treating it as proof of the same epitope accessibility (standard IF/IHC practice).
How do I reduce diffuse or vessel associated background?
First distinguish expected vascular staining from background: HPA describes CAVIN1 expression mainly in blood vessels and adipocytes (HPA tissue IHC). The catalog image used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and a peroxidase linked secondary for 30 minutes at 37°C (caption A31732-2). Include no primary and secondary only controls, and check whether staining follows cell boundaries or spreads across extracellular material (standard IHC practice; HPA subcellular). Apply an endogenous peroxidase block before HRP and DAB detection, especially where intrinsic enzyme activity could mimic signal (standard chromogenic IHC practice). If background persists, optimize blocking, washes, and antibody concentration one variable at a time (standard IHC practice).
How should I score CAVIN1 when positive cells are unevenly distributed? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the compartment and cell population before scoring, because HPA reports high staining in adipocytes and smooth muscle cells and expression mainly in vessels and adipocytes (HPA tissue IHC). For cell rich regions, report percentage of positive target cells and staining intensity, or an H-score using a prespecified intensity scale (standard IHC quantification practice). For sparse structures, report positive cell or vessel profiles per mm² of viable tissue, and normalize to the relevant cell count or vessel area (standard IHC quantification practice). Score membrane associated and cytoplasmic signals separately if both are reproducible, since CAVIN1 occupies caveolae and cytosol (UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location). Exclude folds, edges, and necrosis using the same rules across cases (standard IHC quantification practice).
When is a CAVIN1 positive signal likely to be artefactual?
A convincing result should occur in a plausible cell population and compartment: CAVIN1 is associated with caveolae and cytosol, while HPA reports prominent vascular and adipocyte staining (UniProt Q6NZI2 subcellular location; HPA tissue IHC). Examine unexpected strong staining in cells reported as undetected, such as adrenal glandular cells, against tissue morphology and controls (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Signal confined to cut edges, folds, or necrotic areas suggests a section or detection artefact (standard IHC practice). Check a no primary control and the endogenous peroxidase block when DAB staining is diffuse or follows enzyme rich structures (standard chromogenic IHC practice). Because HPA rates tissue staining reliability as Supported with medium RNA agreement, interpret isolated discordant staining cautiously (HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents
Best CAVIN1 / Caveolae-associated protein 1 IHC Antibodies
A31732-2 has IHC images from human paraffin sections and an IF/ICC image from HeLa cells (catalog image captions). Its listed reactivity is human, mouse and rat (catalog reactivity).
Real IHC data
Anti-PTRF/CAVIN1 Antibody ®
Cat # A31732-2
A31732-2 will render with its IHC figure from a human paraffin-embedded glioblastoma section (catalog IHC image caption). Additional catalog images show IHC in human thyroid cancer, placenta and breast cancer sections, and IF/ICC in HeLa cells (catalog image captions).
Which to pick: Choose A31732-2 for paraffin-section IHC: its caption documents EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 and primary antibody at 2 μg/ml (catalog IHC image caption); the fixative is unreported (catalog IHC image caption). Choose the same SKU for IF/ICC because its HeLa cell image documents fluorescence detection (catalog IF image caption). For mouse or rat samples, A31732-2 has listed reactivity, but the supplied IHC and IF images show human samples only; its host is rabbit and clonality is unspecified (catalog reactivity; catalog image captions; catalog host and clone fields).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q6NZI2 (CAVN1_HUMAN, Caveolae-associated protein 1).
- Human Protein Atlas. CAVIN1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
- Human Protein Atlas. CAVIN1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the plasma membrane. In addition localized to vesicles..
- Human Protein Atlas. CAVIN1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Deficiency of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein exacerbated monocrotaline-induced pulmonary artery hypertension through Caveolin1 and CAVIN1. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 2021 — PMC8107102.
- Cavin1; a regulator of lung function and macrophage phenotype. PloS one 2013 — PMC3636273.
- Non-caveolar caveolin - 1 in retinal Müller glia promotes innate immune responses. The Journal of biological chemistry 2026 — PMC13382776.
- Homotrimer cavin1 interacts with caveolin1 to facilitate tumor growth and activate microglia through extracellular vesicles in glioma. Theranostics 2020 — PMC7295042.
- PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:9582279 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for CAVIN1 (Caveolae-associated protein 1). Expected localisation Caveolar and cytosolic localisation is annotated; the tissue-IHC compartment is unspecified (UniProt; HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A31732-2). Validated IHC antibody: A31732-2 at 1-2 μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Adipose tissue (Adipocytes); negative Adrenal gland. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human glioblastoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A31732-2); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A31732-2); 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 A31732-2); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A31732-2); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-CAVIN1, 1-2 μg/ml (datasheet A31732-2); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A31732-2). Watch for: Fixation: Keep formalin fixation consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Vessels and adipocytes may dominate tissue signal (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: Three isoforms; no transmembrane segment; map the antibody epitope (UniProt); Regulation: Insulin shifts CAVIN1 from caveolae to cytoplasm (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q6NZI2, HPA tissue IHC · Supported, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the plasma membrane. In addition localized to…, Datasheet A31732-2, PMC8107102, PMC3636273. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/CAVIN1/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.