CBR1 / Carbonyl reductase [NADPH] 1 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for CBR1

Plan CBR1 chromogenic IHC around the cytoplasmic tissue pattern reported by HPA (HPA tissue IHC). Use high staining colon glandular cells and undetected heart muscle cardiomyocytes as tissue comparisons (HPA tissue IHC).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for CBR1 (IHC for CBR1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M02825-3, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable CBR1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M02825-3, controls and protocol steps. Open the full CBR1 IHC guide →

CBR1 Immunohistochemistry Experimental Design Guide

Expected localisation, validated protocols, controls and antibodies — the at-a-glance facts below, then the full design guide.

Must know before staining
Expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic signal in glandular, respiratory epithelial and glial cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet M02825-3)
Positive control ⓘ Adrenal gland+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Fallopian tube+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 Staining has medium consistency with RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Regulation not specified (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 2 isoforms; epitope differences are unspecified (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended CBR1 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is accompanied by four published CBR1 IHC methods (datasheet M02825-3; PMC6776159; PMC7058637; PMC5902461; PMC5795658).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human liver cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M02825-3)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M02825-3); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet M02825-3); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet M02825-3)
Primary antibodyRabbit monoclonal (clone 30C98) anti-CBR1, 1:50-1:200 (datasheet M02825-3)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet M02825-3)
DetectionHRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet M02825-3)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultCBR1-positive staining in glandular cells of adrenal gland (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 pH 8.0 retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet M02825-3). The oral biopsy protocol reports a separate citrate pH 9.0 method (PMC5795658).
Section 2

What Is the Expected CBR1 Staining Pattern?

In paraffin-section IHC, expect CBR1 mainly in the cytoplasm of positive cells across many tissues (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; UniProt P16152: cytoplasm). Colon glandular cells, bronchial respiratory epithelial cells, and adrenal glandular cells are high-staining examples (HPA: High in each). CBR1 has no transmembrane segment, so a membrane-restricted pattern is unexpected (UniProt P16152: topology). HPA rates its tissue IHC profile Enhanced, with medium consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA: tissue IHC reliability).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in colon glandular cells or bronchial respiratory epithelial cells.This fits the reported IHC pattern: both cell populations are High, and the tissue profile is predominantly cytoplasmic (HPA: High in colon glandular and bronchial respiratory epithelial cells; HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues). Judge the intended cell population, not merely whether any part of the section is brown.
Predominantly nuclear or sharply membrane-restricted staining in an IHC section.Neither is the expected tissue IHC pattern (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; UniProt P16152: no transmembrane segment). Check whether staining tracks nuclei or cell borders consistently, then compare with a reported positive cell population and the assay controls. Nuclear ICC-IF staining has separate evidence and does not by itself validate nuclear IHC staining (HPA: nucleoplasm approved in ICC-IF).
Strong staining in cells reported as Not detected, such as heart cardiomyocytes.That distribution conflicts with the reported tissue result (HPA: Not detected in heart cardiomyocytes). Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic detection activity, especially if a control lacking primary antibody also stains (general IHC practice). A conflicting result calls for investigation; HPA's tissue categories are references, not guarantees for every specimen (HPA: medium staining–RNA consistency).
Diffuse color across cells and surrounding tissue, without a readable cell-specific pattern.The result cannot establish the expected cytoplasmic localization (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues). Review the control lacking primary antibody for detection background, then assess blocking, antibody concentration, washing, and counterstain as general IHC variables (general IHC practice). Do not score diffuse deposit as CBR1-positive cells.
No discernible signal in colon glandular cells while the detection controls perform as expected.Colon glandular cells are a reported High population, so absence of staining merits review (HPA: High in colon glandular cells). Confirm that the target cells are present, then check the validated antibody's IHC-P instructions and the run's retrieval and detection conditions (general IHC practice). One negative section does not establish absence of CBR1.
💡Expected CBR1 appearanceA convincing positive IHC result shows discernible cytoplasmic staining in reported High populations such as colon glandular cells (HPA: High in colon glandular cells; HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues), whereas isolated membrane outlines, nuclear-only color, or widespread deposit without cell-specific staining warrant investigation (UniProt P16152: no transmembrane segment; general IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Assay-dependent localizationTissue IHC is described as cytoplasmic, while ICC-IF lists nucleoplasm as approved and cytosol as an additional supported location (HPA: tissue IHC profile; HPA: ICC-IF subcellular summary). Interpret each preparation against its own evidence; the ICC-IF result does not establish a nuclear IHC pattern.
Cell population and reference strengthHPA reports High staining in several epithelial or glandular populations, but Not detected in lung alveolar cells and heart cardiomyocytes (HPA: tissue IHC levels). Its Enhanced tissue profile has medium staining–RNA consistency, so use these as pattern benchmarks while evaluating a discrepant specimen (HPA: reliability description).
Antibody validation and IF/ICC Q&AQ: Can tissue IHC validation establish an IF/ICC pattern? A: No. Both listed antibodies have Enhanced IHC status; HPA018433 has Uncertain ICC status, and CAB034291 has no ICC status supplied (HPA: antibody validation). The separate ICC-IF localization evidence can guide interpretation, but IHC validation does not transfer to IF/ICC.
Target structure and unresolved epitope behaviorCBR1 is annotated as cytoplasmic, without a transmembrane segment or signal peptide, and has two isoforms (UniProt P16152: subcellular location, topology, processing, isoforms). These annotations support checking compartment and antibody coverage; they do not identify the antibody epitope or establish isoform-specific staining or fixation sensitivity.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
No signal in an expected High cell population.The run may have lost detectable signal, or the sampled section may not contain the intended cells; the reference population is High in HPA, not a guaranteed result in every section (HPA: High in colon glandular cells).Locate the target cells on the counterstained section; verify the IHC-validated antibody's stated IHC-P conditions and check retrieval, dilution, and detection against the run controls (general IHC practice).
Nuclear staining dominates paraffin-section IHC.It conflicts with the reported cytoplasmic tissue pattern, although nucleoplasm is an approved ICC-IF location (HPA: tissue IHC profile; HPA: ICC-IF subcellular summary).Record nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately; compare reported positive cells and controls before assigning a nuclear IHC result to CBR1. Treat ICC-IF evidence as assay-specific.
Staining appears chiefly in an HPA Not detected cell population.Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity may explain a discordant distribution; for example, alveolar cells are reported Not detected (HPA: lung alveolar cells; general IHC practice).Check the control lacking primary antibody and assess the staining's compartment and cell identity. Investigate a persistent mismatch before scoring it as specific CBR1.
Uniform haze or precipitate obscures cell boundaries.Nonspecific binding, detection background, or excess chromogen can prevent cell-level interpretation (general IHC practice).Compare the control lacking primary antibody; review blocking, antibody concentration, washing, and chromogen development, then reassess whether cytoplasmic signal is distinguishable (general IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC profile).
A reported High population stains weakly beside another population.High is HPA's reported category, not an intensity calibration for the current run; its tissue profile has medium consistency with RNA data (HPA: tissue IHC levels and reliability description).Compare like cell types across the section and inspect run controls before calling the population negative. Document any departure from the HPA pattern without assigning an unsupported cause.
IF/ICC shows cytosolic or nuclear signal that differs from tissue IHC.HPA reports cytosol as supported and nucleoplasm as approved in ICC-IF, while tissue IHC is chiefly cytoplasmic (HPA: ICC-IF subcellular summary; HPA: tissue IHC profile).Interpret the IF/ICC image under its separate assay evidence; do not use an IHC-P validation status as proof of ICC specificity (HPA: HPA018433 ICC Uncertain; CAB034291 ICC status not supplied).

Sample controls for CBR1 IHC & IF

🧪Run adrenal gland first; its glandular cells should stain for CBR1 (HPA: High in adrenal gland glandular cells). Run fallopian tube as the negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in fallopian tube glandular cells); within the adrenal section, use non-glandular cells as an internal negative reference only if independently verified as CBR1-negative, in which case they should show background staining.
Positive control tissue: Adrenal gland (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Fallopian tube (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show CBR1 in A-431, A-549, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only section and a rabbit IgG control matched to the primary antibody’s isotype and clonality (caption: rabbit anti-CBR1 primary); confirm specificity with CBR1 knockout material or validated peptide competition. Quench endogenous peroxidase in the adrenal section before HRP/DAB detection (caption: HRP/DAB detection; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported, and the selected M02825-3 tissue-IHC caption does not state a fixative. That paraffin-section example uses heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0, but the evidence does not establish that retrieval is required (M02825-3 caption). The supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier; assess adrenal autofluorescence against an unstained section if using IF (standard IF practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for CBR1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium 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

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adrenal gland Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Myoepithelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bronchus Respiratory epithelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Glial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Glial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Fallopian tube Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Heart muscle Cardiomyocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Lung Alveolar cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Parathyroid gland Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skeletal muscle Myocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced CBR1 IHC Tips

These checks help distinguish CBR1 staining in paraffin sections from processing artefacts, background and differences between tissue and cell imaging (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular).

What retrieval should I try when CBR1 staining is weak?
Start with heat-mediated antigen retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for paraffin sections (datasheet M02825-3). The documented liver cancer section used that retrieval, followed by 10% goat serum blocking and antibody at 1:50 overnight at 4°C (datasheet M02825-3). If staining remains weak, compare retrieval duration on adjacent sections while keeping antibody concentration and DAB development constant (standard IHC practice). Include a known positive compartment and a no-primary control in each comparison, because stronger overall brown staining alone does not establish better CBR1 detection (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain inconsistent CBR1 staining across paraffin blocks?
Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown: the selected CBR1 image describes a paraffin-embedded section but does not state its fixative (datasheet M02825-3). Record each block’s actual fixative and processing history before comparing staining, and process matched sections together when possible (standard IHC practice). If one block stains poorly, compare a documented positive section in the same run and inspect tissue preservation before changing retrieval or antibody concentration (HPA: high staining in colon glandular cells; standard IHC practice). Do not assign an effect to CBR1’s cytoplasmic location, modifications or isoforms without a matched fixation comparison (UniProt P16152: cytoplasm, modified residues, two isoforms; standard IHC practice).
Should I accept nuclear CBR1 staining in chromogenic IHC?
For tissue IHC, cytoplasmic staining is the principal pattern to compare against: HPA reports cytoplasmic expression in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC). The subcellular cell-imaging record instead lists nucleoplasm as the main location and cytosol as an additional location, so nuclear signal deserves investigation rather than automatic rejection (HPA subcellular). Review nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately in intact cells, with a no-primary control and consistent DAB development across sections (standard IHC practice). A membrane-only pattern would conflict with the recorded cytoplasmic location and lack of a transmembrane segment, so validate it with an independent control (UniProt P16152: cytoplasm, no transmembrane segment; standard IHC practice).
How can epitope choice affect interpretation of CBR1 IHC?
CBR1 has two recorded isoforms, but the supplied product caption does not identify the antibody’s epitope or establish which isoforms it recognizes (UniProt P16152: isoforms 1 and 2; datasheet M02825-3). Check the antibody’s epitope documentation before treating a negative section as evidence that both isoforms are absent (standard IHC practice). The protein has no annotated transmembrane segment or glycosylation sites, and several modified residues are recorded, including positions 2, 30 and 239 (UniProt P16152). Those annotations alone cannot predict epitope masking in paraffin sections; assess staining against matched positive tissue and an independent validation method where isoform specificity matters (standard IHC practice).
How should I follow up CBR1 IHC with multiplex IF?
Use IF as a separate assay and pair CBR1 with a marker identifying the expected cell population, such as an epithelial marker when examining colon glandular cells (HPA: high in colon glandular cells; standard IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and assess tissue autofluorescence in an unstained section; a far-red channel can help when shorter wavelengths show strong background (standard IF practice). CBR1 has no transmembrane segment, while cell imaging places it in nucleoplasm and cytosol, so permeabilisation must allow access to intracellular epitopes, including nuclei when nuclear signal is assessed (UniProt P16152 topology; HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Compare nuclear and cytosolic channels separately with single-stain controls before calling colocalisation (standard IF practice).
How do I distinguish CBR1 signal from brown background?
First inspect a no-primary section and the distribution of pigment or precipitate before assigning brown signal to CBR1 (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase for HRP detection and control DAB development consistently across sections; these are general chromogenic workflow steps (standard IHC practice). The documented CBR1 image used 10% goat serum, a 1:50 primary dilution and DAB, which provide a starting comparison for that antibody rather than universal settings (datasheet M02825-3). If background persists, adjust blocking, washing or primary concentration one variable at a time and require a plausible cellular pattern in the positive control (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; standard IHC practice).
What should I score when CBR1 staining is heterogeneous? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, then record both the percentage of positive cells and cytoplasmic intensity on a fixed 0–3 scale (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; standard IHC scoring practice). An H-score combines the percentage at each intensity and ranges from 0–300; retain the underlying percentages so weak widespread staining is distinguishable from strong focal staining (standard IHC scoring practice). For cell counts, report positive cells per mm² of viable tissue and normalise to the area or number of eligible cells actually assessed (standard IHC scoring practice). Use identical thresholds, imaging conditions and exclusion rules for damaged tissue across cases (standard IHC practice).
Which CBR1 patterns suggest a true positive rather than artefact?
A convincing tissue result shows staining within intact cells in a plausible compartment and population, with low signal in the no-primary control (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; standard IHC practice). Colon glandular cells are reported high, whereas heart cardiomyocytes are reported not detected, providing contrasting reference patterns rather than absolute controls for every specimen (HPA tissue IHC). Treat staining confined to section edges, necrotic areas or extracellular deposits cautiously, and check endogenous peroxidase when using HRP and DAB (standard IHC practice). Investigate isolated membrane-only staining against the cytoplasmic tissue profile and the absence of a transmembrane segment; interpret nuclear signal alongside the separate cell-imaging evidence (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P16152 topology; HPA subcellular).
Boster reagents

Best CBR1 / Carbonyl reductase [NADPH] 1 IHC Antibodies

Two anti-CBR1 antibodies have IHC images from human paraffin sections (catalog IHC captions). A02825-1 also has IF data in A549 cells and lists human, mouse and rat reactivity (A02825-1 IF caption; catalog reactivity).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of CBR1 using anti-CBR1 antibody (M02825-3). CBR1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human liver cancer tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1:50 rabbit anti-CBR1 Antibody (M02825-3) overnight at 4°C. Peroxidase Conjugated Goat Anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using HRP Conjugated Rabbit IgG Super Vision Assay Kit (Catalog # SV0002) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-CBR1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M02825-3
Real IHC data IHC analysis of CBR1 using anti-CBR1 antibody (A02825-1). CBR1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human breast cancer tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 2 μg/ml rabbit anti-CBR1 Antibody (A02825-1) overnight at 4°C. Peroxidase Conjugated Goat Anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using HRP Conjugated Rabbit IgG Super Vision Assay Kit (Catalog # SV0002) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-CBR1 ® Antibody
Cat # A02825-1

M02825-3 shows IHC in human liver cancer and liver paraffin sections; a mouse brain image is also shown, although its listed reactivity is human (M02825-3 IHC captions; catalog reactivity). A02825-1 shows IHC in human breast, liver, lung and rectal cancer paraffin sections and IF/ICC in A549 cells (A02825-1 IHC and IF captions).

Which to pick: For human tissue IHC, M02825-3 offers monoclonal clone 30C98, with EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and 1:50 primary dilution shown in its liver cancer section (catalog clone; M02825-3 IHC caption). For IF/ICC or listed mouse and rat reactivity, choose A02825-1; its own IHC example uses EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and 2 μg/ml primary antibody (catalog applications and reactivity; A02825-1 IHC and IF captions). Both IHC captions describe paraffin sections, but neither reports the fixative (M02825-3 and A02825-1 IHC captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P16152 (CBR1_HUMAN, Carbonyl reductase [NADPH] 1).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. CBR1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. CBR1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the cytosol..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. CBR1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Upregulation of Carbonyl Reductase 1 by Nrf2 as a Potential Therapeutic Intervention for Ischemia/ Reperfusion Injury during Liver Transplantation. Molecules and cells 2019 — PMC6776159.
  6. Maternal 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Deficiency Promoted Metabolic Syndrome and Downregulated Nrf2/CBR1 Pathway in Offspring. Frontiers in pharmacology 2020 — PMC7058637.
  7. Decreased carbonyl reductase 1 expression promotes tumor growth via epithelial mesenchymal transition in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinomas. Reproductive medicine and biology 2018 — PMC5902461.
  8. Low carbonyl reductase 1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Molecular and clinical oncology 2018 — PMC5795658.
  9. PubMed PMID:3141401 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:2182121 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:1921984 — UniProt-cited evidence.