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CDH17 / Cadherin-17 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for CDH17
Plan chromogenic CDH17 IHC on paraffin sections with the IHC-validated antibody at 1–2 μg/ml (datasheet A06389-1). Assess membranous and cytoplasmic staining in gastrointestinal glands, accounting for differences between intestinal endocrine cells and stomach glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
CDH17 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 | Membranous and cytoplasmic staining in GI glands (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | GI glands show membrane and cytoplasmic signal; endocrine cells stain strongly (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A06389-1) | |
| Positive control | Appendix+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 paraffin-section fixation consistent across samples. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Stomach glands stain less strongly than intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Intestine-enriched expression (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Isoform / epitope | No isoforms annotated; map the epitope to the extracellular or cytoplasmic side (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended CDH17 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody uses EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval (datasheet: A06389-1). The published CDH17 IHC protocols below describe colorectal, gastric, renal and pancreatic tumor staining (PMC12294824; PMC6970965; PMC4360917; PMC4302003).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human rectal cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A06389-1) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A06389-1); 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 A06389-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A06389-1) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-CDH17, 1-2 μg/ml (datasheet A06389-1) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A06389-1) |
| Detection | Streptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A06389-1) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | CDH17-positive staining in endocrine cells of appendix (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Distinct membranous and cytoplasmic expression in gastrointestinal glands. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet: A06389-1). Published protocols provide citrate, high-pH and proteinase K retrieval alternatives (PMC6970965; PMC4360917; PMC4302003; PMC12294824).
Section 2
What Is the Expected CDH17 Staining Pattern?
CDH17 is a cell-membrane protein with an extracellular region at residues 23–787 and a transmembrane segment at 788–808 (UniProt Q12864 topology). In paraffin-section IHC, expect membranous and cytoplasmic staining in gastrointestinal glands, especially the specified endocrine cells of appendix, colon, duodenum, rectum and small intestine (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates the tissue pattern Enhanced, citing consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
| Distinct cell-border staining, with some cytoplasmic signal, in gastrointestinal glands (HPA tissue IHC). | This matches the reported tissue pattern; the cell-border component agrees with CDH17 membrane localization (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12864 subcellular location). Judge the signal by its compartment and identified cell type together, since cytoplasmic staining also appears in HPA's IHC description (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Predominantly nuclear staining in a paraffin section, with little convincing membrane signal. | This departs from the expected IHC pattern and warrants an artefact check (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12864 subcellular location). HPA reports an uncertain additional nucleoplasmic location in ICC-IF; that observation does not establish a nuclear IHC pattern (HPA ICC-IF). |
| Strong staining in adipocytes or adrenal glandular cells, rather than the identified gastrointestinal positive cells. | These cells are reported as not detected in the listed HPA tissue observations (HPA tissue IHC). Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity, and compare with a control lacking primary antibody (standard IHC practice). |
| Diffuse color across tissue, including cells outside the expected pattern. | Treat this as background until a distinct cell-associated pattern is resolved (standard IHC practice). Excess detection signal or inadequate blocking can contribute to diffuse staining; HPA's described pattern is distinct, with membranous and cytoplasmic expression in gastrointestinal glands (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). |
| No staining in a correctly identified gastrointestinal positive control. | An absent result in a listed High positive cell population calls the run into question; it cannot establish that the specimen lacks CDH17 (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Check the control section and detection workflow before interpreting other negative fields (standard IHC practice). |
💡Expected CDH17 appearanceCall a positive result when distinct membranous and cytoplasmic signal marks the specified gastrointestinal cells—High in the listed intestinal endocrine cells, Medium in stomach glandular cells; diffuse or predominantly nuclear color is suspect in IHC (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q12864 subcellular location).
| Membrane topology (UniProt Q12864 topology) | CDH17 has an extracellular region at 23–787, one membrane span at 788–808, and a short cytoplasmic region at 809–832 (UniProt Q12864 topology). These positions support a membrane expectation, but do not identify the catalog antibody's epitope or dictate a retrieval method. |
| Cell and tissue selection (HPA tissue IHC) | HPA reports High staining in endocrine cells of appendix, colon, duodenum, rectum and small intestine; stomach glandular cells are Medium, and gallbladder glandular cells are listed as low (HPA tissue IHC). Match the scored cell type when choosing controls. |
| IHC antibody validation (HPA antibodies) | The four listed antibodies have Enhanced IHC status: HPA023614, HPA023616, HPA026556 and CAB025143 (HPA antibodies). That supports the reported pattern, but validation status does not establish the performance of an unlisted antibody or resolve an unexpected compartment. |
| Retrieval and detection conditions (standard IHC practice) | Antigen retrieval and chromogenic detection can be optimized against positive and negative controls (standard IHC practice). The supplied UniProt and HPA records give no CDH17-specific fixation sensitivity, retrieval condition or dilution; do not infer one from topology or staining intensity. |
| IF/ICC Q&A: Is nucleoplasmic signal expected? | HPA's ICC-IF summary places CDH17 mainly at cell junctions and lists additional nucleoplasmic localization as uncertain (HPA ICC-IF). Treat nucleoplasmic IF signal cautiously; this separate observation does not change the expected paraffin-section IHC pattern (HPA ICC-IF; HPA tissue IHC). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| The positive intestinal control is blank. | A blank control may reflect a failed staining run; HPA lists High signal in specified intestinal endocrine cells (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). | Confirm that the expected cells are present, then check primary antibody, retrieval and detection steps with a positive control (standard IHC practice). |
| Nuclei dominate the chromogenic signal. | Nuclear dominance conflicts with the reported membranous and cytoplasmic IHC pattern (HPA tissue IHC). | Inspect a control lacking primary antibody and compare the cell borders with a positive control before scoring (standard IHC practice). |
| Adrenal glandular cells or adipocytes stain strongly. | HPA reports CDH17 as not detected in those cell types; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). | Use a control lacking primary antibody to assess the detection system, then reassess antibody specificity (standard IHC practice). |
| Color is widespread and cell borders cannot be resolved. | Diffuse background can obscure the distinct gastrointestinal pattern (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). | Check blocking, antibody concentration, washes and chromogen development against the negative control (standard IHC practice). |
| Stomach looks weaker than an intestinal positive control. | That difference can agree with HPA's Medium stomach glandular staining and High staining in the listed intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC). | Identify and score the specified cell types before treating the intensity difference as a run failure (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). |
| Cytoplasmic signal accompanies clear membrane staining. | HPA describes both membranous and cytoplasmic expression in gastrointestinal glands (HPA tissue IHC). | Keep the cell type and distinct membrane component in view when scoring; investigate only if diffuse color prevents localization (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing CDH17 staining
A06389-1 · IHCIHC analysis of LI Cadherin/CDH17 using anti-LI Cadherin/CDH17 antibody (A06389-1). LI Cadherin/CDH17 was detected in a paraffin-embedded se
A06389-1 · IHCIHC analysis of LI Cadherin/CDH17 using anti-LI Cadherin/CDH17 antibody (A06389-1). LI Cadherin/CDH17 was detected in a paraffin-embedded se
A06389-1 · IFIF analysis of LI Cadherin/CDH17 using anti-LI Cadherin/CDH17 antibody (A06389-1). LI Cadherin/CDH17 was detected in an immunocytochemical s
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079112-CDH17/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_6202664
HPA · Small intestineHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Small intestine. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079112-CDH17/tissue/small+intestine#imid_6199189
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079112-CDH17/tissue/colon#imid_6199214
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079112-CDH17/tissue/liver#imid_6199215
HPA · ICC-IF A-549Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-549, antibody HPA023616; green = CDH17, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-549Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-549, antibody HPA023616; green = CDH17, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for CDH17 IHC & IF
🧪Run rectum first and score its endocrine cells for staining (HPA: High in rectal endocrine cells). Use adrenal gland glandular cells as the negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in adrenal gland glandular cells); compare morphologically identified non-endocrine cells on the rectal slide for background, without assuming every such cell is CDH17-negative (HPA: rectal endocrine-cell staining).
Positive control tissue: Appendix (Endocrine cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show CDH17 in A-549, CACO-2, with annotated localisation: Cell Junctions (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a rabbit IgG control matched to the primary antibody’s clonality and concentration (caption: rabbit primary and goat anti-rabbit secondary; standard IHC practice). Use validated CDH17-knockout material or an immunizing-peptide competition control if available, and check endogenous peroxidase and biotin background in the rectal section before interpreting DAB signal (caption: SABC/DAB detection; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected A06389-1 rectal-cancer IHC caption does not state the fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative not stated). The demonstrated paraffin-section workflow uses heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0; retrieval dependence beyond that condition is unreported (selected-SKU caption). Neither frozen sections nor IF/ICC can be judged easier from the supplied evidence; for rectal tissue, distinguish specific cell-surface signal from DAB background when scoring (selected-SKU caption: paraffin-section IHC with SABC/DAB; UniProt Q12864: cell membrane; standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for CDH17
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appendix | Endocrine cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Colon | Endocrine cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Duodenum | Endocrine cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Rectum | Endocrine cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Small intestine | Endocrine cells | High | 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 → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bronchus | Respiratory epithelial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced CDH17 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot CDH17 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, tissue context and controls before comparing staining intensity (UniProt Q12864; HPA tissue IHC).
What retrieval should I try when CDH17 staining is weak?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for this catalog antibody (datasheet A06389-1). The selected paraffin-section image used that retrieval before detecting CDH17 in human rectal cancer tissue (caption A06389-1). If staining remains weak, compare a second retrieval condition on adjacent sections while keeping detection and imaging constant (standard IHC practice). Include a gastrointestinal positive control, since CDH17 is expressed in that tract (UniProt Q12864), and assess membrane staining separately from diffuse background. Excessive retrieval can damage section morphology (standard IHC practice); reject conditions that increase apparent signal while obscuring cell boundaries.
Could fixation explain weak or uneven CDH17 staining?
The selected image documents a paraffin-embedded section, but its caption does not state the fixative (caption A06389-1). Target-specific fixation sensitivity is therefore unknown; do not attribute weak CDH17 staining to a particular fixative without a controlled comparison. Compare sections with documented processing histories using the same EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and antibody concentration (datasheet A06389-1; standard IHC practice). Inspect morphology and staining across section depth, because poor preservation or inconsistent processing can complicate chromogenic interpretation (standard IHC practice). Include a consistently processed gastrointestinal control alongside each comparison, given CDH17 expression in the gastrointestinal tract (UniProt Q12864).
Should CDH17 staining be membranous or cytoplasmic?
Prioritize cell boundaries: CDH17 is annotated as a cell-membrane protein with a transmembrane segment at residues 788–808 (UniProt Q12864). Gastrointestinal gland staining can also appear cytoplasmic in tissue IHC (HPA: distinct membranous and cytoplasmic expression in gastrointestinal glands). Score membrane and cytoplasmic signal separately, rather than treating all brown deposits as equivalent evidence of surface expression (standard IHC practice). Inspect intact glands at higher magnification and compare neighboring cells under the same staining conditions (standard IHC practice). Predominantly nuclear chromogen in tissue warrants scrutiny, although an additional nucleoplasmic location is reported with uncertain support in subcellular imaging (HPA subcellular).
How does epitope position affect CDH17 staining?
CDH17 has a large extracellular region at residues 23–787 and a short cytoplasmic region at 809–832 (UniProt Q12864 topology). Seven cadherin domains and eight annotated glycosylation sites lie within the extracellular region (UniProt Q12864). Check the antibody's documented immunogen or epitope before assigning an extracellular or intracellular binding site; none is specified in the supplied caption (caption A06389-1). A different staining pattern between antibodies can prompt an epitope-accessibility comparison, provided retrieval and detection are matched (standard IHC practice). No alternative CDH17 isoforms are listed in this record, so avoid explaining discordance by an asserted isoform (UniProt Q12864).
How can IF help investigate an ambiguous IHC pattern?
Use IF as a separate localisation check when chromogenic CDH17 staining does not clearly resolve cell boundaries (standard IF practice). Multiplex CDH17 with a validated marker of the expected gastrointestinal gland cell population, and confirm the markers' host species and secondary-antibody compatibility (HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and compare unstained tissue in each channel to identify autofluorescence before interpreting overlap (standard IF practice). Set permeabilisation according to the verified antibody epitope: an extracellular epitope may be assessed without it, whereas access to residues 809–832 on the cytoplasmic side requires it (UniProt Q12864 topology; standard IF practice). Interpret any nuclear signal cautiously because HPA lists nucleoplasmic localisation as uncertain (HPA subcellular).
What should I check when the DAB section looks diffusely brown?
First compare a no-primary control and inspect whether brown deposits follow cell borders, gland cytoplasm, or section-wide background (standard IHC practice). The selected image used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and biotinylated secondary with a streptavidin–biotin complex and DAB (caption A06389-1). Check endogenous peroxidase blocking and, where relevant, biotin-related background before interpreting a positive chromogenic reaction (standard IHC practice). If diffuse staining persists, titrate primary antibody and detection intensity while retaining the same positive and no-primary controls (standard IHC practice). Genuine CDH17 staining should be evaluated against its documented gastrointestinal gland pattern (HPA tissue IHC).
How should I score CDH17 across heterogeneous sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the region of interest and eligible epithelial cells before scoring, and keep those rules constant across sections (standard IHC practice). Report membrane-positive cell percentage and staining intensity, or calculate an H-score from intensity categories and their cell percentages (standard IHC practice). Record cytoplasmic staining separately because both membranous and cytoplasmic patterns occur in gastrointestinal glands (HPA tissue IHC). Normalize counts to the number of eligible cells, or positive profiles to measured tissue area in mm²; exclude folds, necrosis, and missing tissue consistently (standard IHC practice). Use matched retrieval, chromogen development and image thresholds for comparisons, with a reference section in each staining run (standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish real CDH17 signal from artefact?
A credible result follows gland cell boundaries or shows the documented glandular cytoplasmic pattern, with tissue context considered alongside intensity (UniProt Q12864; HPA tissue IHC). Strong staining in an unexpected cell population needs corroboration, since HPA reports high signal in intestinal endocrine cells and medium signal in stomach glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC). Compare intact central tissue with section edges and necrotic areas; edge accumulation or staining confined to necrosis supports an artefact concern (standard IHC practice). A no-primary control helps identify detection-system background, including residual endogenous enzyme signal in DAB workflows (standard IHC practice). Treat dominant nuclear staining cautiously because nucleoplasmic localisation has uncertain support (HPA subcellular).
Boster reagents
Best CDH17 / Cadherin-17 IHC Antibodies
A06389-1 has IHC images from human rectal cancer and mouse and rat colon paraffin sections, plus IF images from human samples (catalog image captions).
Real IHC data
Anti-LI Cadherin/CDH17 Antibody
Cat # A06389-1
A06389-1 has IHC images from human rectal cancer and mouse and rat colon paraffin sections, and IF images from CACO-2 cells and human intestinal cancer paraffin sections (catalog image captions). M06389 lists human reactivity and IHC, with no IHC or IF image in the supplied catalog payload (catalog: applications, reactivity, image captions).
Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A06389-1 when an illustrated paraffin-section procedure is useful: its caption reports EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 and 2 μg/ml primary antibody; the fixative is unreported (A06389-1 IHC image caption). For IF/ICC, choose A06389-1 because both applications and human IF images are supplied; M06389 lists IHC but no IF/ICC application, and its rabbit monoclonal clone is AFFC-3 (catalog: applications, IF image captions, clone). For human, mouse, or rat IHC, A06389-1 has species-matched paraffin-section images, while M06389 lists human reactivity only and has no supplied IHC image (catalog: reactivity and IHC image captions).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q12864 (CAD17_HUMAN, Cadherin-17).
- Human Protein Atlas. CDH17 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. CDH17 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the cell junctions. In addition localized to the nucleoplasm..
- Human Protein Atlas. CDH17 antibody validation summary (4 antibodies).
- Evidence for the Prognostic Value of CDH17 Expression in Colorectal Carcinoma. International journal of molecular sciences 2025 — PMC12294824.
- (111)In-labeled anti-cadherin17 antibody D2101 has potential as a noninvasive imaging probe for diagnosing gastric cancer and lymph-node metastasis. Annals of nuclear medicine 2020 — PMC6970965.
- Cadherin 17 is a sensitive and specific marker for metanephric adenoma. The American journal of surgical pathology 2015 — PMC4360917.
- Cadherin 17 is frequently expressed by 'sclerosing variant' pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour. Histopathology 2015 — PMC4302003.
- PubMed PMID:8153632 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:16421571 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for CDH17 (Cadherin-17). Expected localisation Membranous and cytoplasmic staining in GI glands (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A06389-1). Validated IHC antibody: A06389-1 at 1-2 μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Appendix (Endocrine cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human rectal cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A06389-1); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A06389-1); 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 A06389-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A06389-1); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-CDH17, 1-2 μg/ml (datasheet A06389-1); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A06389-1). Watch for: Fixation: Keep paraffin-section fixation consistent across samples. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Stomach glands stain less strongly than intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: No isoforms annotated; map the epitope to the extracellular or cytoplasmic side (UniProt); Regulation: Intestine-enriched expression (HPA tissue IHC). Evidence: UniProt Q12864, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the cell junctions. In addition localized to the…, Datasheet A06389-1, PMC12294824, PMC6970965. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/CDH17/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.