GOT1 / Aspartate aminotransferase, cytoplasmic · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for GOT1

This IHC-P guide describes GOT1’s cytoplasmic tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC) and the catalog antibody’s 2–5 µg/mL IHC range (datasheet A04085-3). Compare high staining in round or early spermatids with undetected staining in adipocytes (HPA tissue IHC).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for GOT1 (IHC for GOT1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A04085-3, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable GOT1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A04085-3, controls and protocol steps. Open the full GOT1 IHC guide →

GOT1 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 tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic in neurons and glandular cells; abundant in CNS (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A04085-3)
Positive control ⓘ Testis+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+4 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image A04085-3)
Caveat Staining and RNA show medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Expression regulation not annotated (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 2 isoforms; epitope differences unreported (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended GOT1 IHC & IF Protocols

Compare the catalog antibody’s EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval (datasheet A04085-3) with published GOT1 IHC protocols for pancreatic tumors and human FFPE sections (PMC9735520; PMC12671062).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded mouse brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A04085-3)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A04085-3); 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 A04085-3); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A04085-3)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-GOT1, 2-5μg/ml (datasheet A04085-3)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A04085-3)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A04085-3)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultGOT1-positive staining in round or early spermatids of testis (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: General cytoplasmic expression, most abundant in CNS, heart muscle and liver. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with EDTA pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet A04085-3); the published protocols use trypsin or citrate pH 6.0 (PMC9735520; PMC12671062).
Section 2

What Is the Expected GOT1 Staining Pattern?

GOT1 should appear mainly as cytoplasmic staining because it is annotated as cytoplasmic and has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P17174). In paraffin sections, useful positive cells include round or early spermatids in testis and neurons in cerebral cortex or caudate (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates the tissue IHC evidence Enhanced, while reporting medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic signal is strong in round or early spermatids, with cell outlines and nuclei still readable (HPA: High in round or early spermatids; UniProt P17174: cytoplasm).This fits the reported high testis signal. Judge intensity in the named cells: an entire testis section need not stain uniformly when the reference pattern identifies a particular cell population (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Neuronal cytoplasm stains at a moderate level in cerebral cortex or caudate (HPA: Medium in neuronal cells).This is another plausible positive pattern. Compare like cell types and sections processed together; HPA intensity labels describe observed tissue IHC, not an absolute chromogen threshold for every run (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Signal is predominantly nuclear or sharply confined to cell membranes, without convincing cytoplasmic staining (UniProt P17174: cytoplasm; no transmembrane segment).That distribution conflicts with the annotated location. Check the counterstain, chromogen deposits and antibody-dependent background before scoring those cells as GOT1 positive (UniProt P17174; standard IHC practice).
Strong staining appears in adipocytes or lung alveolar cells, while the expected positive cell populations are weak (HPA: Not detected in those cell types).Treat that contrast as suspect rather than assigning tissue-wide positivity. Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible; compare a known-positive section and appropriate detection controls (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Color spreads across stroma, empty spaces or most cell compartments and obscures individual cells (standard IHC practice).This is diffuse background, so it cannot establish a cytoplasmic GOT1 pattern. Review blocking, washing, antibody concentration and chromogen development against a control section (UniProt P17174: cytoplasm; standard IHC practice).
💡Expected GOT1 appearanceCall a section positive when the expected cells show readable cytoplasmic staining—high in round or early spermatids or medium in the listed neurons—without dominant nuclear, membrane or diffuse background signal (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P17174: cytoplasm; standard IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell-specific reference pattern and evidence strength (HPA tissue IHC).HPA reports general cytoplasmic expression and identifies high staining in round or early spermatids, medium staining in several listed cell types, and non-detection in others (HPA tissue IHC). Its Enhanced IHC rating supports the pattern, while its stated RNA agreement is medium (HPA tissue IHC).
Subcellular location and topology (UniProt P17174).Cytoplasmic location and absence of a transmembrane segment support a cytoplasmic readout (UniProt P17174). A membrane-only pattern therefore needs scrutiny; the record does not establish a special antigen-retrieval setting (UniProt P17174; standard IHC practice).
Isoforms and protein annotations (UniProt P17174).Two isoforms, a chain annotated at residues 2–413, and modified residues at 149 and 259 are recorded (UniProt P17174). The supplied evidence does not map an antibody epitope or show that these features change staining or retrieval; avoid predicting an isoform-specific pattern.
Chromogenic detection controls (standard IHC practice).Endogenous enzyme activity or nonspecific detection can add color in paraffin IHC (standard IHC practice). Use a detection control to assess unexplained signal, especially where HPA reports GOT1 as not detected in the named cell type (HPA tissue IHC).
IF/ICC expectation? (UniProt P17174; HPA subcellular record).Cytoplasmic signal is a reasonable location prediction from UniProt P17174. HPA supplies no main ICC-IF location or cell-line images here, so this section cannot claim an observed IF/ICC pattern (HPA subcellular record).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
No signal in round or early spermatids on a testis section (HPA: High in those cells).A weak assay run is possible, but the HPA reference alone does not identify a GOT1-specific fixation or retrieval failure (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).Check tissue identity and morphology, the IHC-validated antibody's supplied IHC-P instructions, detection reagents and a processed positive control (standard IHC practice).
Only nuclei or crisp cell borders stain (UniProt P17174: cytoplasm; no transmembrane segment).The compartment disagrees with the annotated GOT1 location; counterstain confusion or nonspecific color may explain it (UniProt P17174; standard IHC practice).Inspect unstained and detection-control areas, then assess whether a reproducible cytoplasmic signal remains in an HPA-positive cell type (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Adipocytes or lung alveolar cells stain strongly (HPA: Not detected in those cells).Unexpected cell staining may reflect cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity; HPA non-detection is an observed reference, not proof of absolute absence (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).Review a detection control and a positive cell population in the same run; score the named cell type rather than calling the whole tissue positive (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Broad haze makes cell boundaries and cytoplasm hard to distinguish (standard IHC practice).Excess nonspecific signal or overdeveloped chromogen can conceal the expected cytoplasmic distribution (UniProt P17174: cytoplasm; standard IHC practice).Review blocking and washes, then adjust antibody concentration or development within the antibody's IHC-P instructions; compare controls processed together (standard IHC practice).
A section shows uneven staining across otherwise comparable areas (standard IHC practice).Target-specific fixation effects are not established by the supplied assay evidence. Verify with a matched IHC source before attributing a result to fixation.Inspect tissue integrity and reagent coverage, and repeat the comparison with sections processed together before assigning biological meaning to the gradient (standard IHC practice).
A moderate neuronal signal is dismissed because it is weaker than the testis example (HPA: Medium in listed neurons; High in round or early spermatids).The reference intensities differ by cell type, so a single visual cutoff can misclassify an expected moderate pattern (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).Score compartment, named cell type and background together; use the relevant HPA cell-specific level as context and record run-specific controls (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).

Sample controls for GOT1 IHC & IF

🧪Run testis first and score round or early spermatids for GOT1 staining (HPA: High in round or early spermatids); use adipose tissue adipocytes as the negative comparator (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes). No verified internal negative cell type is identified for testis in the supplied HPA rows; any unstained cells on that slide should resemble the no-primary background, without being assumed biologically GOT1-negative (HPA: testis row identifies round or early spermatids only).
Positive control tissue: Testis (Round or early spermatids, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA carries no ICC-IF cell line for GOT1; derive a cell-line control from the positive tissue's cell type (Round or early spermatids) and confirm it by RNA or western blot first.
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype controls, plus GOT1 knockout tissue or a validated peptide-block control (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary; standard IHC practice). For testis, block and check endogenous peroxidase and biotin before interpreting DAB signal (selected-SKU caption: biotinylated secondary, streptavidin–biotin detection and DAB; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the exact selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative unreported). That caption uses heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, but does not establish that retrieval is required for testis (selected-SKU caption: mouse brain paraffin section); the supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier (HPA subcellular: no ICC-IF image lines). In testis, closely packed round or early spermatids can complicate assignment of chromogenic signal to individual cells, so assess staining against cell morphology and control background (HPA: High in round or early spermatids; standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for GOT1

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
Testis Round or early spermatids High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Adrenal gland Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Neuronal cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Cells in granular layer Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Endometrium Cells in endometrial stroma Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Esophagus Squamous epithelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced GOT1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot GOT1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cytoplasmic localisation, cell type and detection controls.

What should I change when GOT1 staining is weak after antigen retrieval?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 (datasheet A04085-3). The selected mouse brain paraffin-section image used this condition before staining with 2 μg/ml antibody overnight at 4°C (datasheet A04085-3). If staining remains weak, compare a fresh section with the same retrieval condition and check antibody incubation and detection before changing the buffer (standard IHC practice). If you test another retrieval condition, run it beside the documented condition and compare cytoplasmic signal in the same cell type (UniProt P17174 localisation; standard IHC practice). Excessive retrieval can damage morphology, so assess tissue integrity alongside signal (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven GOT1 staining in my paraffin sections?
The selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative, so GOT1-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown (datasheet A04085-3). Record the fixation method and duration for each specimen, then compare sections processed together with the same EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and detection conditions (datasheet A04085-3; standard IHC practice). Check whether weak signal tracks with processing batches or poorly preserved morphology before changing antibody concentration (standard IHC practice). Include a positive tissue section in each run, such as brain with an expected neuronal staining pattern (datasheet A04085-3; HPA: medium in cerebral-cortex neuronal cells). Do not infer a fixation effect from tissue expression differences alone (HPA tissue profile; standard IHC practice).
Where should convincing GOT1 signal appear in a paraffin section?
Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining because GOT1 is annotated in the cytoplasm and has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P17174). In brain sections, assess signal within identified cells: HPA reports medium staining in cerebral-cortex neuronal cells and cerebellar granular-layer cells (HPA tissue IHC). A sharply nuclear or membrane-restricted pattern warrants review of morphology, retrieval, and staining controls before assignment to GOT1 (UniProt P17174 localisation; standard IHC practice). Compare cellular signal with a section lacking primary antibody to detect contributions from the chromogenic system (standard IHC practice). Score cells by their cytoplasmic compartment, rather than treating diffuse extracellular colour as positive staining (UniProt P17174 localisation; standard IHC practice).
Can this IHC stain distinguish GOT1 isoforms or reveal an epitope problem?
GOT1 has 2 annotated isoforms, but the supplied caption does not identify this antibody’s epitope or establish isoform selectivity (UniProt P17174; datasheet A04085-3). Treat a positive cytoplasmic stain as GOT1 staining without assigning it to isoform 1 or 2 (UniProt P17174 localisation and isoforms). The record lists phosphoserine at residue 149 and pyridoxal-phosphate-linked lysine at residue 259; their effect on this antibody’s IHC staining is unreported (UniProt P17174; datasheet A04085-3). If staining changes across specimens, first compare retrieval, processing, and controls under matched conditions (standard IHC practice). Resolve isoform-specific questions with independently established epitope information before making an isoform claim (standard IHC practice).
How should I investigate uncertain GOT1 signal in multiplex tissue immunofluorescence?
For the separate IF/ICC workflow, pair GOT1 with a validated neuronal marker when examining brain tissue, and assess whether its signal occupies the expected cells (HPA: medium in cerebral-cortex neuronal cells; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after imaging an unstained section, placing the weaker signal in a channel with less tissue autofluorescence (standard IF practice). GOT1 is cytoplasmic and has no transmembrane segment, so permeabilisation must allow antibody access inside the cell; optimise it against morphology and background (UniProt P17174; standard IF practice). Keep single-label and no-primary controls to distinguish bleed-through and background from colocalisation (standard IF practice). The supplied paraffin-section caption establishes a chromogenic IHC procedure, not an IF/ICC validation (datasheet A04085-3).
How can I separate GOT1 staining from diffuse DAB background?
Check a section without primary antibody to assess signal from the secondary and chromogenic detection steps (standard IHC practice). The selected image used 10% goat-serum blocking, biotinylated goat anti-rabbit secondary for 30 minutes at 37°C, and a streptavidin-biotin system with DAB (datasheet A04085-3). If background is widespread, review blocking, washing, and secondary detection under matched conditions (standard IHC practice). Include a peroxidase-blocking step as part of the DAB workflow, and evaluate a detection control because endogenous activity can produce colour independently of GOT1 binding (standard IHC practice). Interpret discrete cytoplasmic staining in appropriate cells more cautiously than uniform tissue haze (UniProt P17174 localisation; standard IHC practice).
What is a defensible way to quantify GOT1 staining across sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and tissue region before scoring, then measure cytoplasmic signal rather than whole-section DAB area (UniProt P17174 localisation; standard IHC practice). An H-score combines staining intensity with the percentage of cells at each intensity and runs from 0 to 300; alternatively, report percentage of positive cells with a fixed threshold (standard IHC practice). Normalise counts or stained area to the number of eligible cells or analysed tissue area, respectively, and keep exposure and threshold rules consistent (standard IHC practice). Exclude folds, damaged edges, and necrotic regions using the same criteria across samples (standard IHC practice). Report cell type because HPA staining varies among tissues and cells (HPA tissue IHC).
Which findings would make a GOT1-positive result doubtful?
A convincing result should show cellular cytoplasmic signal with a plausible distribution, consistent with GOT1’s annotated location and HPA’s general cytoplasmic tissue pattern (UniProt P17174; HPA tissue IHC). Reconsider strong nuclear or membrane-restricted colour, staining confined to section edges or necrotic regions, and colour in the no-primary control (UniProt P17174 localisation; standard IHC practice). In a brain section, compare identified neuronal cells with the reported neuronal staining pattern rather than assuming every coloured cell is positive (HPA: medium in cerebral-cortex neuronal cells). DAB colour can arise from endogenous peroxidase activity, so check peroxidase blocking and detection controls (standard IHC practice). HPA reports medium agreement between staining and RNA data, which warrants careful interpretation of discordant results (HPA reliability description).
Boster reagents

Best GOT1 / Aspartate aminotransferase, cytoplasmic IHC Antibodies

Catalog antibodies show paraffin-section IHC in human, mouse, and rat tissues and IF in T-47D cells, rat kidney, and human pancreas cancer sections (catalog image captions).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 using anti-Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 antibody (A04085-3). Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of mouse brain tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 2μg/ml rabbit anti-Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 Antibody (A04085-3) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC) (Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 Antibody ®
Cat # A04085-3
Real IHC data IHC analysis of Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 using anti-Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 antibody (M04085-1). Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 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 2 μg/ml mouse anti-Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 Antibody (M04085-1) overnight at 4°C. Peroxidase Conjugated Goat Anti-mouse IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using HRP Conjugated Mouse IgG Super Vision Assay Kit (Catalog # SV0001) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-Aspartate Aminotransferase/GOT1 Antibody ® (monoclonal, 6B3B4)
Cat # M04085-1

A04085-3 has IHC images from mouse and rat brain and human stomach and bladder cancer sections, plus IF images from T-47D cells, rat kidney, and human pancreas cancer sections (A04085-3 image captions). M04085-1 has IHC images from human liver cancer, renal pelvis squamous, and rectum adenocarcinoma sections (M04085-1 IHC image captions).

Which to pick: For human paraffin-section IHC, M04085-1 is a mouse monoclonal option with human tissue images (M04085-1 catalog entry and IHC image captions). For IF/ICC and cross-species IHC, choose A04085-3: its application list includes IF and ICC, and its IHC images cover human, mouse, and rat sections (A04085-3 catalog entry and image captions). Both IHC captions specify paraffin sections and EDTA pH 8 retrieval; neither reports the fixative (A04085-3 and M04085-1 IHC image captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P17174 (AATC_HUMAN, Aspartate aminotransferase, cytoplasmic).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. GOT1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. GOT1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Variation in transcript expression is correlated to the cell cycle..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. GOT1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. GOT1 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating SLC25A5-dependent mitochondrial apoptosis. Oncogene 2026 — PMC13167451.
  6. Tumor Cell Derived Exosomal GOT1 Suppresses Tumor Cell Ferroptosis to Accelerate Pancreatic Cancer Progression by Activating Nrf2/HO-1 Axis via Upregulating CCR2 Expression. Cells 2022 — PMC9735520.
  7. Multi-omics revealed GOT1/ALDH3A1 pathway attenuated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and increased cisplatin sensitivity through ROS induced by mitochondrial dysfunction. Redox report : communications in free radical research 2025 — PMC12671062.
  8. Co-administration with A1M does not influence apoptotic response of (177)Lu-octreotate in GOT1 neuroendocrine tumors. Scientific reports 2023 — PMC10115890.
  9. PubMed PMID:1974457 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:15164054 — UniProt-cited evidence.