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CD207 / C-type lectin domain family 4 member K · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for CD207
Use human skin as a positive control for CD207 chromogenic IHC (HPA tissue IHC). Assess selective Langerhans-cell staining while treating membrane and Birbeck-granule localization as a molecular expectation, since the tissue IHC profile does not specify a compartment (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
CD207 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 | Membrane/Birbeck granules expected; IHC site unreported (UniProt; HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Selective Langerhans-cell staining; compartment unreported (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen) | |
| Positive control | Skin+2 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 | Confirm identity of stained skin fibrohistiocytic cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Skin-enriched, Langerhans-cell selective (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Isoform / epitope | No listed isoforms; cytoplasmic 1–43 vs extracellular 65–328 (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended CD207 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is provided separately (datasheet); the published options below cover mouse tissue, tonsil, and clinical immunostaining (PMC6748438; PMC4879127; PMC8138496).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human skin tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M02316-2) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M02316-2); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit monoclonal (clone 18C01) anti-CD207, 1:50-1:200 (datasheet M02316-2) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (standard) |
| Detection | HRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | CD207-positive staining in fibrohistiocytic cells of skin (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Selective expression in Langerhans cells. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with citrate pH 6.0 HIER at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval guidance); consider EDTA pH 9 for tonsil sections (PMC4879127).
Section 2
What Is the Expected CD207 Staining Pattern?
CD207 is a membrane protein with an extracellular domain and is found in Birbeck granules (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology; UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular). In paraffin-section IHC, expect staining in a selective population of Langerhans cells (HPA: selective expression in Langerhans cells). HPA rates its tissue IHC profile Enhanced because antibody staining is highly consistent with RNA expression (HPA: Enhanced reliability).
| Discrete, strong staining in scattered skin cells. | This fits the expected positive pattern: HPA reports high staining in skin fibrohistiocytic cells and identifies the selective population as Langerhans cells (HPA: skin High; HPA: selective expression). Assess the stained cells, rather than treating all skin cells as expected positives. |
| Cell outlines or intracellular puncta are visible, without a dominant nuclear signal. | Membrane-associated staining is consistent with CD207 topology (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology). Intracellular puncta are compatible with its presence in Birbeck granules, but light microscopy cannot identify those organelles from chromogen alone (UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular; standard IHC interpretation). Predominantly nuclear staining is discordant and warrants an artefact check. |
| Strong staining fills many unrelated cells, including adipocytes or respiratory epithelium. | That distribution conflicts with HPA results: adipocytes in adipose tissue and respiratory epithelial cells in bronchus were not detected (HPA: adipose tissue Not detected; HPA: bronchus Not detected). Check antibody cross-reactivity and endogenous detection activity before interpreting those cells as CD207 positive (standard IHC practice). |
| Weak, diffuse chromogen covers cells and surrounding tissue alike. | A deposit without a clear cellular pattern is hard to score against HPA's selective Langerhans-cell profile (HPA: selective expression). Review blocking, washes and detection controls for background staining (standard IHC practice); diffuse colour alone does not establish CD207 localisation. |
| No staining appears in a known-positive skin section. | An absent signal conflicts with HPA's high skin-cell staining and Enhanced tissue profile (HPA: skin High; HPA: Enhanced reliability). First confirm that the section contains the relevant cells, then inspect the staining run and antibody conditions (standard IHC practice). |
💡Expected CD207 appearanceCall positive a clear, strong membrane-associated or intracellular signal in scattered Langerhans cells in skin (HPA: skin High; HPA: selective expression; UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular); broad staining of unrelated cells or dominant nuclear colour is suspect (HPA: selective expression; UniProt Q9UJ71 topology).
| Cell population and tissue | Skin is the strongest supplied tissue example: HPA calls its fibrohistiocytic-cell staining High (HPA: skin High). Non-germinal-center cells in lymph node and tonsil are Medium, so compare like cell populations when judging intensity (HPA: lymph node Medium; HPA: tonsil Medium). |
| Topology and intracellular pools | CD207 spans residues 44–64, with residues 65–328 extracellular; it is also found in Birbeck granules (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology; UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular). The epitope of a chosen antibody is not supplied, so do not infer which pool that antibody detects. |
| Glycosylation | UniProt lists glycosylation sites at residues 87, 113 and 180 (UniProt Q9UJ71 glycosylation). Their presence does not establish an antigen-retrieval setting or a fixation effect; use the selected antibody's documented IHC conditions as the starting point (standard IHC practice). |
| IF/ICC Q: Should cytosolic fluorescence define the IHC result? | A: HPA labels its ICC-IF cytosol assignment uncertain (HPA: Cytosol, uncertain). The tissue IHC call should follow the selective-cell pattern and membrane/Birbeck-granule context (HPA: tissue IHC profile; UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular); the ICC-IF observation alone cannot settle paraffin-section localisation. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Skin control is blank. | The relevant cells may be absent from the viewed area, or the staining run may have failed (HPA: selective expression; standard IHC practice). | Inspect the section for the expected scattered cell population, then review antibody, detection and positive-control performance (HPA: skin High; standard IHC practice). |
| Staining appears mainly nuclear. | A nuclear-only pattern disagrees with CD207 membrane localisation and Birbeck-granule association (UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular). | Check morphology, counterstain and detection controls; score only a reproducible cellular pattern consistent with the expected compartment (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular). |
| Most cells stain uniformly. | Widespread signal disagrees with selective expression in Langerhans cells (HPA: selective expression). Background or antibody cross-reactivity is possible (standard IHC practice). | Compare a no-primary control and a supplied negative cell population; review blocking, washes and antibody concentration (standard IHC practice; HPA: adipose-tissue adipocytes Not detected). |
| Colour appears in tissue but lacks cell boundaries. | Diffuse deposit can obscure the selective cell pattern needed for interpretation (HPA: selective expression; standard IHC practice). | Review detection time, washes and background controls, then reassess identifiable cells on the section (standard IHC practice). |
| Lymph node or tonsil looks weaker than skin. | HPA reports Medium staining in non-germinal-center cells there, versus High staining in skin fibrohistiocytic cells (HPA: lymph node Medium; HPA: tonsil Medium; HPA: skin High). | Compare the reported cell populations and the skin control before calling a weak result a failed run (HPA: tissue IHC profile; standard IHC practice). |
| ICC-IF suggests diffuse cytosol while tissue IHC suggests membrane-associated signal. | The HPA cytosol assignment is uncertain; UniProt places CD207 at membranes and in Birbeck granules (HPA: Cytosol, uncertain; UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular). | Interpret each assay with its own controls and resolution; do not use the uncertain ICC-IF assignment to override the selective tissue IHC pattern (HPA: tissue IHC profile; standard IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing CD207 staining
M02316-2 · IHCImmunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human skin, using Langerin (CD207) Antibody.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000116031-CD207/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_3117800
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000116031-CD207/tissue/colon#imid_3117718
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000116031-CD207/tissue/liver#imid_3117735
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000116031-CD207/tissue/kidney#imid_3117736
HPA · ICC-IF HAP1Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, HAP1, antibody HPA011216; green = CD207, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF HAP1Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, HAP1, antibody HPA011216; green = CD207, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for CD207 IHC & IF
🧪Run skin first: fibrohistiocytic cells should stain (HPA: High in skin fibrohistiocytic cells). Use adipose tissue as a negative control because adipocytes are not detected (HPA: Not detected in adipose adipocytes); neighboring non-fibrohistiocytic cells on the skin slide should lack specific staining (HPA: High in skin fibrohistiocytic cells).
Positive control tissue: Skin (Fibrohistiocytic cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show CD207 in HAP1, SH-SY5Y, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (uncertain) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control; an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host species and immunoglobulin class; and a CD207-knockout specimen as a biological negative (standard IHC practice). For chromogenic skin sections, quench endogenous peroxidase and distinguish brown chromogen from melanin pigment (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: Paraffin-section skin IHC is documented, but the selected M02316-2 caption does not report its fixative; no CD207-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported in the supplied evidence (catalog caption: M02316-2; supplied target/application evidence). Antigen-retrieval dependence is unreported, so optimize retrieval against the skin positive control rather than assuming a condition (supplied target/application evidence; standard IHC practice). Frozen-section or IF preparation cannot be judged easier from these sources; skin pigment can complicate chromogenic scoring (supplied target/application evidence; standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for CD207
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — High 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin | Fibrohistiocytic cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Lymph node | Non-germinal center cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Tonsil | Non-germinal center cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Adrenal gland | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Appendix | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced CD207 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot CD207 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell identity, subcellular pattern, and matched controls before scoring chromogenic signal.
How should I optimize retrieval when CD207 staining is weak in paraffin sections?
Begin with citrate pH 6.0 heat-induced epitope retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). Keep section thickness, cooling, antibody incubation, and chromogen development consistent while comparing adjacent sections, so a change in signal can be attributed to retrieval (standard IHC practice). CD207 has an extracellular region spanning residues 65–328, but the catalog antibody’s epitope is unspecified; topology alone cannot predict its response to heat (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology; supplied antibody evidence). If staining remains weak, test a longer retrieval time on a matched section and assess both specific cellular staining and tissue damage (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain inconsistent CD207 staining between paraffin blocks?
Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown: the catalog image identifies paraffin-embedded human skin but does not report its fixative (M02316-2 tissue-IHC caption). Record each block’s fixative and fixation duration before comparing staining, because those variables can alter antigen accessibility in routine IHC (standard IHC practice). For a controlled pilot, compare specimens fixed for 6 and 24 h if matched material is available, while keeping section thickness and citrate pH 6.0 retrieval constant (standard IHC practice; page retrieval setting). Judge the pilot against an identically processed positive control; neither the reported tissue pattern nor CD207 topology establishes which fixation interval is best (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q9UJ71 topology).
What subcellular CD207 pattern should I accept in chromogenic IHC?
Evaluate staining in cells with Langerhans-cell morphology and distribution, with membrane-associated or cytoplasmic punctate signal consistent with CD207’s membrane location and Birbeck-granule association (UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular location; HPA tissue IHC). Its transmembrane segment occupies residues 44–64, leaving residues 1–43 cytoplasmic and 65–328 extracellular (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology). An ordinary chromogenic section cannot resolve individual Birbeck granules, so describe the visible pattern without claiming organelle-level identification (standard light-microscopy practice). Treat isolated nuclear staining as suspect and compare it with the positive control, negative control, and local tissue morphology before interpretation (UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular location; standard IHC practice).
Can isoforms or epitope placement explain a missing CD207 signal?
The supplied record lists 0 alternative isoforms and a single 1–328 chain, so there is no annotated isoform-specific staining pattern to troubleshoot here (UniProt Q9UJ71 isoforms and processing). Its cytoplasmic segment is 1–43, transmembrane segment 44–64, and extracellular segment 65–328; the lectin domain spans 202–320 (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology and domains). Glycosylation is annotated at residues 87, 113, and 180, but the antibody epitope is not supplied, so their effect on staining cannot be assigned (UniProt Q9UJ71 glycosylation; supplied antibody evidence). If retrieval changes signal, document the condition and check cellular specificity before proposing an epitope-based explanation (standard IHC practice).
How can IF help assess an ambiguous CD207 IHC pattern?
As a follow-up to chromogenic IHC, multiplex CD207 with a separately validated Langerhans-cell marker and assess cell-level overlap rather than comparing fluorescence channels by eye alone (UniProt Q9UJ71 tissue specificity; standard IF practice). In skin, inspect unstained and single-color controls for autofluorescence, and favor a spectrally separated far-red fluorophore when it improves contrast (M02316-2 tissue-IHC caption; standard IF practice). The antibody epitope is unspecified: an extracellular epitope may be accessible without permeabilisation, whereas a cytoplasmic epitope requires it (UniProt Q9UJ71 topology; standard IF practice). Compare permeabilised and nonpermeabilised samples under matched acquisition settings, and do not treat their intensity difference as proof of epitope position (standard IF practice).
How do I distinguish weak CD207 staining from chromogenic background?
Run a no-primary control beside the test section, and compare signal within expected cells with staining in surrounding structures (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q9UJ71 tissue specificity). For peroxidase-based detection, a 3% hydrogen peroxide block for approximately 10 min is a general workflow starting point; optimize it for the tissue and detection system (standard IHC practice). Check whether pigment or precipitated chromogen persists in the no-primary section, and compare matched positive skin with a tissue reported as undetected, such as adipose tissue (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). Adjust antibody concentration and development time in separate comparisons, retaining the condition that best preserves cellular specificity (standard IHC practice).
What is a reproducible way to score CD207-positive cells in skin IHC? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the scored compartment and anatomic region before counting, since skin is the enriched tissue and reported staining is selective for Langerhans cells (HPA tissue IHC). For cell-level scoring, report the percentage of eligible cells positive and, when intensity is reliable, an H-score using intensity categories 0–3 for a 0–300 range (standard IHC scoring practice). For sparse cells, also report CD207-positive cell density per mm² of the same prespecified tissue compartment, excluding folds and damaged areas (standard histology quantification practice). Keep retrieval, detection, thresholds, and sampled area matched across groups, and normalize counts to eligible tissue area rather than the full slide (standard IHC practice).
When is a CD207-positive IHC result biologically convincing?
A convincing result places staining in the expected Langerhans-cell population and shows membrane-associated or cytoplasmic signal compatible with CD207’s membrane and Birbeck-granule association (UniProt Q9UJ71 tissue specificity and subcellular location). Skin is a supported positive tissue, while HPA reports no detection in adipocytes of adipose tissue; use both patterns as contextual checks rather than absolute specimen-level guarantees (M02316-2 tissue-IHC caption; HPA tissue IHC). Diffuse nuclear staining, section-edge accentuation, necrotic areas, or signal retained in a no-primary control warrant investigation for artifact or endogenous detection activity (UniProt Q9UJ71 subcellular location; standard IHC practice). Confirm uncertain cells by morphology and, where needed, an independent Langerhans-cell marker (standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents
Best CD207 / C-type lectin domain family 4 member K IHC Antibodies
M02316-2 has an IHC image of paraffin-embedded human skin (catalog image caption); the catalog provides no IF image (catalog: IF images empty).
Real IHC data
Anti-Langerin (CD207) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M02316-2
M02316-2 is listed for human IHC (catalog: applications and reactivity). Its image shows staining of paraffin-embedded human skin (catalog image caption).
Which to pick: Choose M02316-2 for paraffin-section tissue IHC: it is a rabbit monoclonal listed for human IHC, with an image from paraffin-embedded human skin (catalog: host, clone, applications and reactivity; catalog image caption). The caption does not report the fixative (catalog image caption). No listed SKU supports an IF/ICC or cross-species recommendation (catalog: IHC-only application and human-only reactivity).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q9UJ71 (CLC4K_HUMAN, C-type lectin domain family 4 member K).
- Human Protein Atlas. CD207 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. CD207 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. CD207 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Neurogenic factor-induced Langerhans cell activation in diabetic mice with mechanical allodynia. Journal of neuroinflammation 2013 — PMC3685572.
- BRAF V600E and Pten deletion in mice produces a histiocytic disorder with features of Langerhans cell histiocytosis. PloS one 2019 — PMC6748438.
- CD1c-Related DCs that Express CD207/Langerin, but Are Distinguishable from Langerhans Cells, Are Consistently Present in Human Tonsils. Frontiers in immunology 2016 — PMC4879127.
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis of an intra-mammary lymph node in an 18-year-old woman. Pathologica 2020 — PMC8138496.
- PubMed PMID:10661407 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15815621 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for CD207 (C-type lectin domain family 4 member K). Expected localisation Membrane/Birbeck granules expected; IHC site unreported (UniProt; HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen). Validated IHC antibody: M02316-2 at 1:50-1:200 (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Skin (Fibrohistiocytic cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human skin tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M02316-2); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M02316-2); 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-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0 , 20 min at 95–98 °C…; 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min , room temperature (standard); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit monoclonal (clone 18C01) anti-CD207, 1:50-1:200 (datasheet M02316-2); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (standard). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across paraffin sections (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Confirm identity of stained skin fibrohistiocytic cells (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: No listed isoforms; cytoplasmic 1–43 vs extracellular 65–328 (UniProt); Regulation: Skin-enriched, Langerhans-cell selective (HPA tissue IHC). Evidence: UniProt Q9UJ71, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · cytosol., Datasheet M02316-2, PMC6748438, PMC4879127. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/CD207/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.