DAPK1 / Death-associated protein kinase 1 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for DAPK1

Plan DAPK1 paraffin IHC around cytoplasmic tissue staining, including high staining in squamous epithelial cells (HPA tissue IHC). The catalog antibody has a starting range of 2–5 μg/ml for IHC (datasheet A01161-1).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for DAPK1 (IHC for DAPK1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A01161-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable DAPK1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A01161-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full DAPK1 IHC guide →

DAPK1 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 High cytoplasmic staining in squamous epithelial cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01161-1)
Positive control ⓘ Esophagus+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+3 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Keep fixation consistent across sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Staining has medium consistency with RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Isoform 2 occurs in colorectal carcinomas (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope Four isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended DAPK1 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet: A01161-1) is accompanied by four published DAPK1 IHC protocols (PMC6825784; PMC5428482; PMC5520959; PMC5429897).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human colorectal adenocarcinoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01161-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01161-1); 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 A01161-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A01161-1)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-DAPK1, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A01161-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A01161-1)
DetectionHRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet A01161-1)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultDAPK1-positive staining in squamous epithelial cells of esophagus (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: A01161-1); use each article’s stated retrieval when reproducing its protocol.
Section 2

What Is the Expected DAPK1 Staining Pattern?

DAPK1 is a cytoplasmic, cytoskeleton-associated protein with no transmembrane segment (UniProt P53355). In paraffin-section IHC, expect cytoplasmic staining in many tissues, including squamous epithelial cells of the esophagus and keratinocytes of the skin, both reported as High (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates the tissue profile Approved, with medium consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in esophageal squamous epithelial cells or skin keratinocytes.This fits the expected compartment and a reported High-staining cell population (UniProt P53355; HPA tissue IHC). Compare cells within the section; the HPA rating is Approved with medium RNA–staining consistency, so appearance alone does not establish specificity (HPA tissue IHC).
Predominantly nuclear or sharply membranous staining, with little cytoplasmic signal.An IHC pattern confined to those compartments conflicts with UniProt's cytoplasmic and cytoskeletal annotation and HPA's mainly cytoplasmic tissue profile (UniProt P53355; HPA tissue IHC). Review morphology and detection controls before interpreting it as DAPK1 (general IHC practice).
Strong staining in adipocytes while an expected-positive cell population is weak.HPA reports DAPK1 as Not detected in adipocytes, so the reversal warrants a specificity check; it does not prove cross-reactivity (HPA tissue IHC). Compare a primary-antibody-omission control to assess endogenous detection activity, then assess antibody-dependent staining (general IHC practice).
Uniform haze across cells, extracellular space and section edges.A haze that obscures cell boundaries cannot support a cell-specific DAPK1 call (general IHC practice). Check background in a primary-antibody-omission control and review blocking, washing and detection conditions; HPA's tissue profile does not diagnose the cause of haze (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
No cytoplasmic signal in esophageal squamous epithelium on an otherwise evaluable section.That differs from HPA's High result for this cell population (HPA tissue IHC). First confirm the relevant cells are present and a positive-control section stained in the same run; absent signal could reflect the assay or the specimen, and the supplied sources do not identify a DAPK1-specific failure mechanism (general IHC practice).
💡Expected DAPK1 appearanceCall a positive result when cytoplasmic staining is clearly visible in reported High populations such as esophageal squamous epithelium or skin keratinocytes (UniProt P53355; HPA tissue IHC); isolated nuclear or membranous staining, or strong adipocyte staining, warrants investigation before a DAPK1 call (UniProt P53355; HPA tissue IHC).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell-specific tissue profileHPA describes cytoplasmic expression in most tissues and low tissue specificity, yet scores individual populations differently: esophageal squamous epithelial cells High, adrenal glandular cells Medium, and adipocytes Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Score the named cell population rather than treating an entire tissue section as uniformly positive or negative (general IHC practice).
Antibody validation and interpretationHPA rates its tissue IHC profile Approved with medium consistency against RNA data; listed IHC antibodies HPA040472, HPA048436 and CAB037302 are Approved (HPA tissue IHC; HPA antibodies). These labels support use of the reported pattern as a reference but do not establish that every unexpected stain is DAPK1 (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
Isoforms and target structureUniProt lists 4 isoforms and reports isoform 2 in normal intestinal tissue and colorectal carcinomas (UniProt P53355). The supplied record gives no antibody epitope, so it cannot establish which isoforms an IHC antibody detects or explain a staining difference between specimens (UniProt P53355; general IHC practice).
Processing and topologyThe annotated DAPK1 chain spans residues 1–1430, with no signal peptide, propeptide or transmembrane segment in the supplied record (UniProt P53355). Its topology supports a cellular cytoplasmic expectation; it provides no basis here to predict membrane staining or a released extracellular fragment (UniProt P53355).
IF/ICC Q: Why might a punctum appear?A: HPA's ICC-IF summary places DAPK1 mainly at the centrosome, whereas its tissue IHC profile is cytoplasmic and UniProt also notes cytoskeletal association (HPA subcellular ICC-IF; HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P53355). Interpret a centrosomal punctum in the separate IF/ICC context; it is not a required chromogenic tissue-IHC pattern (HPA subcellular ICC-IF; HPA tissue IHC).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Expected-positive epithelium is unstained.The run may have failed, or the relevant cells may be absent from the assessed area; HPA reports High staining in esophageal squamous epithelial cells (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).Confirm cell identity and section quality, then compare a known-positive section processed in the same run. Review the antibody's IHC-P instructions and run controls before changing retrieval or dilution (general IHC practice).
Signal is mainly nuclear or outlines cell membranes.This distribution does not match the cytoplasmic tissue profile or UniProt localization (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P53355). The supplied sources do not identify which assay step caused it.Recheck compartment assignment against morphology and the expected-positive control; assess primary-antibody-dependent signal with an omission control (general IHC practice). Do not score an unsupported compartment as DAPK1 on appearance alone (UniProt P53355; HPA tissue IHC).
Adipocytes or smooth muscle cells stain strongly.HPA lists both populations as Not detected, so strong staining needs investigation; endogenous detection activity or antibody cross-reactivity are possibilities, not established diagnoses (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).Compare adjacent negative and expected-positive cell populations, then run a primary-antibody-omission control. Persistent staining without primary antibody points to the detection system; staining only with primary antibody needs further specificity assessment (general IHC practice).
The entire section has diffuse brown background.Widespread background prevents a reliable cell-specific score; its source cannot be assigned from HPA or UniProt (general IHC practice).Examine the omission control, review blocking and washing, and check whether the detection reagents themselves color the section. Reassess the cytoplasmic pattern only after cell boundaries are readable (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC).
A low or absent signal is called a failed stain in every cell.HPA reports genuine differences by cell population, including Not detected adipocytes and parathyroid glandular cells, and Low rectal glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC).Name the cell population being scored and compare it with HPA's matching population. Use a reported High population in the same run to judge whether the assay worked (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
A centrosomal IF/ICC punctum is expected in chromogenic tissue IHC.The centrosome summary comes from HPA ICC-IF; HPA tissue IHC instead describes a cytoplasmic profile (HPA subcellular ICC-IF; HPA tissue IHC).Judge this IHC section by cytoplasmic staining in the appropriate cell types. Consult the separate IF/ICC guide when interpreting punctate fluorescence (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular ICC-IF).

Sample controls for DAPK1 IHC & IF

🧪Run esophagus first: squamous epithelial cells should stain (HPA: High in esophageal squamous epithelial cells). Use adipose tissue as the negative tissue; adipocytes should lack detectable staining (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes). On the positive slide, candidate internal negative cells should lack DAB deposit while retaining a clear counterstained nucleus; the supplied HPA row does not establish a specific negative cell population within esophagus.
Positive control tissue: Esophagus (Squamous epithelial cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show DAPK1 in A-549, HaCaT, U2OS, A-431, U-251MG, with annotated localisation: Centrosome (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control, a concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype control, and, if available, DAPK1-knockout tissue as a biological negative (caption: rabbit anti-DAPK1 primary; standard IHC controls). Quench endogenous peroxidase before HRP/DAB detection and check the esophageal section for residual background (caption: HRP/DAB detection; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: The selected A01161-1 paraffin-section caption does not report a fixative, and the supplied evidence reports no DAPK1-specific fixation window or fixation effect (caption: fixative unreported). That caption uses heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 before staining, but it does not establish that retrieval is required (caption: EDTA retrieval). The evidence does not show that frozen sections or IF/ICC are easier; assess esophageal background with the controls because HRP/DAB artefact could obscure the expected epithelial pattern (HPA: High in esophageal squamous epithelial cells; standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for DAPK1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — 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
Esophagus Squamous epithelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Nasopharynx Respiratory epithelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Placenta Trophoblastic cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skeletal muscle Myocytes High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skin Keratinocytes High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Hippocampus Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Parathyroid gland Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Smooth muscle Smooth muscle cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced DAPK1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot DAPK1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell type, subcellular pattern, and controls before scoring (datasheet A01161-1; HPA tissue IHC).

Which retrieval conditions should I start with for DAPK1 chromogenic IHC?
Start with heat-mediated antigen retrieval in EDTA, pH 8.0 (datasheet A01161-1). The catalog antibody detected DAPK1 in a paraffin section of human colorectal adenocarcinoma after this retrieval, followed by 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C (datasheet A01161-1). If staining is weak, check heating consistency, section adhesion, and whether the primary incubation matches the documented conditions before changing retrieval chemistry (standard IHC practice; datasheet A01161-1). Compare any adjusted retrieval condition on adjacent sections with the same detection and development settings, since stronger signal can also increase background (standard IHC practice).
How should I troubleshoot weak staining when fixation details are unavailable?
The catalog image identifies a paraffin section but does not state its fixative, so DAPK1-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown (datasheet A01161-1). Record the fixative, fixation duration, section age, and processing history for each specimen before comparing staining intensity (standard IHC practice). Test matched sections from a documented specimen alongside the weak sample, holding EDTA, pH 8.0 retrieval and antibody incubation constant (datasheet A01161-1; standard IHC practice). If signal differs, assess processing history and section quality as possible contributors; the available IHC evidence does not establish which fixation condition preserves this antibody's epitope (datasheet A01161-1).
What DAPK1 staining pattern should I expect in tissue sections?
Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining in tissue IHC, while considering association with the cytoskeleton when reviewing cellular detail (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues; UniProt P53355 subcellular). UniProt reports colocalization with MAP1B in microtubules and cortical actin fibers, whereas the HPA subcellular ICC/IF summary identifies the centrosome as its main location (UniProt P53355 subcellular; HPA subcellular). A small centrosomal signal may be difficult to resolve in chromogenic sections, so score a reproducible cellular pattern rather than requiring a visible punctum (HPA subcellular; standard IHC practice). Treat strong isolated nuclear or membrane-rim staining cautiously and compare it with controls and tissue morphology (UniProt P53355 subcellular; standard IHC practice).
Could isoforms or epitope accessibility explain different tissue staining?
DAPK1 has 4 listed isoforms, and isoform 2 is reported in normal intestinal tissue and colorectal carcinomas (UniProt P53355 isoforms and tissue specificity). The supplied catalog caption does not map this antibody's epitope or establish which isoforms it detects, so a change in staining cannot be assigned to an isoform from IHC alone (datasheet A01161-1). DAPK1 also has reported phosphorylation sites, including Ser-308, but no supplied evidence links those modifications to this antibody's staining (UniProt P53355 modified residues; datasheet A01161-1). If isoform recognition matters, obtain epitope documentation and compare staining with an independently validated assay (standard IHC practice).
How can I check DAPK1 localisation by IF alongside tissue IHC?
Use IF/ICC as a separate localisation check: the HPA subcellular record identifies the centrosome as the main location, while tissue IHC reports broadly cytoplasmic expression (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC). Multiplex DAPK1 with a marker for the cell population being evaluated, such as a squamous epithelial marker in esophagus, and include single-label controls (HPA tissue IHC: high in esophageal squamous epithelial cells; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after checking the specimen's autofluorescence and channel bleed-through (standard IF practice). Because DAPK1 lacks a transmembrane segment and is reported in the cytoplasm and cytoskeleton, permeabilize fixed cells sufficiently for intracellular epitope access, then verify that cellular detail remains intact (UniProt P53355 topology and subcellular; standard IF practice).
What should I check when DAPK1 DAB staining is diffuse?
The documented assay used a peroxidase-conjugated secondary and DAB development, making endogenous peroxidase and detection background practical checks (datasheet A01161-1; standard IHC practice). Include a no-primary section, apply an appropriate peroxidase block, and inspect whether staining persists in either control (standard IHC practice). The catalog section was blocked with 10% goat serum and incubated with 2 μg/ml primary overnight at 4°C; use those conditions as a reference when troubleshooting this antibody (datasheet A01161-1). Compare staining at section edges, damaged areas, and intact cells, and shorten chromogen development if nonspecific color obscures cellular detail (standard IHC practice).
How should I score DAPK1 staining across paraffin sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, since tissue IHC describes mainly cytoplasmic DAPK1 expression (HPA tissue IHC). For comparable sections, record the percentage of positive cells and staining intensity, then calculate an H-score using the same thresholds throughout the series (standard IHC practice). Normalize each result to the number of evaluable cells in the specified population, and exclude folds, necrotic regions, and poorly preserved edges (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, antibody incubation, DAB development, and image settings consistent across samples; the documented antibody conditions include EDTA, pH 8.0 retrieval and 2 μg/ml primary antibody (datasheet A01161-1; standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish genuine DAPK1 signal from staining artefacts?
Check whether staining follows intact cell boundaries and the mainly cytoplasmic tissue pattern reported for DAPK1, rather than appearing only as a section-edge halo (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Cell identity matters: HPA reports high staining in esophageal squamous epithelial cells but no detected staining in adipocytes, making these useful contextual comparisons rather than universal controls (HPA tissue IHC). Exclude necrotic areas and review a no-primary section for residual endogenous enzyme or detection signal before calling faint DAB positive (standard IHC practice). Finally, interpret discordant nuclear or membrane-rim staining cautiously against DAPK1's reported cytoplasmic and cytoskeletal localisation (UniProt P53355 subcellular; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best DAPK1 / Death-associated protein kinase 1 IHC Antibodies

Catalog figures show DAPK1 IHC in human paraffin sections of colorectal, liver, lung, and breast cancers (A01161-1 and M01161 image captions), plus IF in HeLa cells (M01161 IF image caption).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of DAPK1 using anti-DAPK1 antibody (A01161-1). DAPK1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human colorectal adenocarcinoma 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-DAPK1 Antibody (A01161-1) 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-DAPK1 Antibody ®
Cat # A01161-1
Real IHC data Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human breast cancer, using DAP Kinase 1 Antibody.
Anti-DAP Kinase 1 DAPK1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M01161

A01161-1 has IHC images from human paraffin sections of colorectal adenocarcinoma, liver cancer, and lung cancer (A01161-1 image captions). M01161 has an IHC image from a human breast cancer paraffin section and an IF image from HeLa cells (M01161 image captions).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A01161-1 for its documented EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 and 2 μg/ml primary antibody in a human colorectal adenocarcinoma paraffin section (A01161-1 image caption); M01161 offers a rabbit monoclonal option with a human breast cancer paraffin-section image (catalog: M01161 clone COA-4; M01161 image caption). For IF/ICC, choose M01161 because both applications are listed and its IF image uses HeLa cells (M01161 applications; M01161 IF image caption). For cross-species studies, both list Human, Mouse, and Rat reactivity (catalog: A01161-1 and M01161 reactivity), although their supplied IHC images show human tissue only and neither caption reports the fixative (A01161-1 and M01161 image captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P53355 (DAPK1_HUMAN, Death-associated protein kinase 1).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. DAPK1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. DAPK1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the centrosome..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. DAPK1 antibody validation summary (4 antibodies).
  5. Association of Protein Expression and Methylation of DAPK1 with Clinicopathological Features in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Patients from Kashmir. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP 2019 — PMC6825784.
  6. Protection of FK506 against neuronal apoptosis and axonal injury following experimental diffuse axonal injury. Molecular medicine reports 2017 — PMC5428482.
  7. DAPK1 as an independent prognostic marker in liver cancer. PeerJ 2017 — PMC5520959.
  8. Placental DAPK1 and autophagy marker LC3B-II are dysregulated by TNF-α in a gestational age-dependent manner. Histochemistry and cell biology 2017 — PMC5429897.
  9. PubMed PMID:7828849 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:17974005 — UniProt-cited evidence.