HNRNPM / Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for HNRNPM

Plan HNRNPM chromogenic IHC in paraffin sections around its widespread nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC). Start with the catalog antibody’s IHC-P conditions (datasheet M06017-1), then compare nuclear staining across specimens processed consistently (standard IHC practice).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for HNRNPM (IHC for HNRNPM): expected localisation Ubiquitous nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M06017-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable HNRNPM IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Ubiquitous nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M06017-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full HNRNPM IHC guide →

HNRNPM 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 Ubiquitous nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Nuclear staining across many tissue cell types (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet M06017-1)
Positive control ⓘ Adipose tissue+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ None in HPA (detected in all 45 tissues); use no-primary + isotype controls
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 M06017-1)
Caveat Widespread nuclear staining can limit cell-type contrast (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Low tissue specificity (HPA RNA)
Isoform / epitope Three isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended HNRNPM IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody protocol and 2 published HNRNPM IHC protocols provide starting conditions for paraffin sections (datasheet M06017-1; PMC9372219; PMC8938476).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human rectal cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M06017-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M06017-1); 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 M06017-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet M06017-1)
Primary antibodyRabbit monoclonal (clone 29H77) anti-HNRNPM, 1:50-1:200 (datasheet M06017-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet M06017-1)
DetectionHRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet M06017-1)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultHNRNPM-positive staining in adipocytes of adipose tissue (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Ubiquitous nuclear expression. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet M06017-1); neither published IHC excerpt specifies retrieval conditions (PMC9372219; PMC8938476).
Section 2

What Is the Expected HNRNPM Staining Pattern?

HNRNPM should produce nuclear staining across many cell types in paraffin tissue sections: HPA describes its tissue IHC pattern as ubiquitous nuclear expression, with Supported reliability and low tissue RNA specificity (HPA: tissue IHC). Expect a nucleoplasmic pattern, while nucleolar localisation is also annotated (HPA: nucleoplasm approved; UniProt P52272: nucleus, nucleolus). HNRNPM has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P52272: topology).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Distinct chromogenic signal lies within cell nuclei, including nuclei of glandular, respiratory epithelial, or hematopoietic cells.This fits the expected compartment and several observed positive populations (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression; High in adrenal glandular, bronchial respiratory epithelial, and bone marrow hematopoietic cells). Compare nuclear signal with the counterstain before scoring.
Color is predominantly cytoplasmic or outlines cell membranes while nuclei remain pale.Treat this as a compartment mismatch that warrants investigation, rather than a convincing HNRNPM positive result (HPA: nucleoplasm approved; UniProt P52272: nucleus, nucleolus; no transmembrane segment). Check the detection and counterstain controls (general IHC practice).
Strong color appears in acellular material or isolated cells without a convincing nuclear profile.Consider nonspecific binding or endogenous detection activity (general IHC practice). HPA reports broad nuclear expression, so an unlisted cell type alone cannot establish cross-reactivity; judge its staining by nuclear localisation and appropriate controls (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression; low tissue RNA specificity).
Weak, diffuse color covers nuclei and surrounding tissue with little compartment contrast.This is difficult to score as specific nuclear HNRNPM staining (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression; nucleoplasm approved). Excess detection signal or incomplete blocking can produce diffuse background; inspect a control lacking primary antibody and optimise the general IHC workflow (general IHC practice).
A known positive population shows no nuclear signal.A negative result conflicts with the reported High staining in that population (HPA: High in adipocytes, adrenal glandular cells, or bone marrow hematopoietic cells). First check section integrity, detection controls, and the antibody’s validated IHC conditions (general IHC practice); do not infer biological absence from one failed section.
💡Expected HNRNPM appearanceCall a result positive when nuclear, chiefly nucleoplasmic chromogenic signal is distinguishable from background in the relevant cells, with strong staining plausible in HPA High populations; dominant membrane, acellular, or diffuse extranuclear color is suspect (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression; High in listed cells; nucleoplasm approved; UniProt P52272: no transmembrane segment).
How each factor affects the staining
Breadth of expression (HPA: tissue IHC)HPA reports ubiquitous nuclear expression and low tissue RNA specificity, with High staining in adipocytes, glandular cells, hematopoietic cells, respiratory epithelial cells, glial cells, and cerebellar granular layer cells (HPA: tissue IHC). Lack of a tissue listing does not make its nuclei a negative control.
Subnuclear interpretation (HPA: subcellular; UniProt P52272)The approved ICC-IF location is nucleoplasm, while UniProt also annotates nucleolus (HPA: nucleoplasm approved; UniProt P52272: nucleus, nucleolus). Use nuclear localisation as the main IHC decision criterion; these sources do not define a required nucleolar chromogenic pattern in tissue sections.
IHC antibody evidence (HPA: antibody validation)HPA rates IHC staining Supported for both HPA024344 and CAB016113 (HPA: antibody validation). This supports comparison with the tissue pattern, but the supplied record gives no antibody-specific epitope, dilution, or retrieval condition; use the catalog antibody’s IHC-P instructions for those choices.
Isoforms and target structure (UniProt P52272)UniProt lists 3 isoforms, RNA recognition motifs, and no transmembrane segment or signal peptide (UniProt P52272: isoforms, domains, topology, processing). The supplied sources do not locate the IHC antibody epitope or show whether it detects every isoform, so do not explain a staining difference as isoform-selective detection without further evidence.
IF/ICC Q&A (HPA: subcellular; antibody validation)Q: What should IF/ICC show? A: Predominantly nucleoplasmic signal (HPA: nucleoplasm approved). HPA lists HPA024344 as ICC Enhanced and CAB016113 as ICC Approved (HPA: antibody validation). Those ICC ratings describe that application; they do not supply an IF protocol for this IHC-P guide.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
No signal in a section containing an HPA High population.The result conflicts with reported staining for that population (HPA: High in listed tissue cells). A failed detection step or unsuitable general IHC conditions may also remove visible signal (general IHC practice).Confirm tissue morphology and a working detection control, then follow the IHC-validated antibody’s documented IHC-P conditions, including its recommended retrieval and dilution if supplied (general IHC practice).
Nuclei are pale but cytoplasm or cell borders are dark.The observed compartment conflicts with nuclear localisation (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression; nucleoplasm approved; UniProt P52272: nucleus, nucleolus). Nonspecific staining or a detection artefact is possible (general IHC practice).Review the nuclear counterstain and a control lacking primary antibody; adjust general blocking, washing, or detection conditions if the controls indicate background (general IHC practice).
The entire section has diffuse chromogenic haze.Background obscures the nuclear pattern expected for HNRNPM (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression). Incomplete blocking, excess reagent, or residual endogenous enzyme activity can contribute to haze in chromogenic IHC (general IHC practice).Inspect the control lacking primary antibody; verify the relevant endogenous activity block, then optimise antibody concentration, washes, and detection exposure using the catalog antibody’s IHC-P instructions (general IHC practice).
Some unlisted cell types show clear nuclear staining.This need not indicate cross-reactivity: HPA describes ubiquitous nuclear expression and low tissue RNA specificity, while its supplied High examples are a subset of tissues (HPA: tissue IHC).Assess the nuclear pattern and control staining in those cells before calling them unexpected; compare their intensity with a listed High population on a suitable section (HPA: tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
A cell population appears negative beside stained neighbors.HPA reports broad nuclear expression but does not assign a staining level to every cell type or establish a universal minimum intensity (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression; supplied tissue IHC entries).Score only interpretable nuclei with adequate morphology and counterstain; check that the positive population and detection controls worked before assigning a negative result (general IHC practice).
A punctate nuclear signal seems confined to nucleoli.UniProt annotates nucleolar localisation, but HPA approves nucleoplasm as the ICC-IF main location; the sources do not specify a required nucleolar IHC pattern (UniProt P52272: nucleus, nucleolus; HPA: nucleoplasm approved).Confirm that staining remains nuclear and exceeds background, then report the subnuclear appearance as observed without treating nucleolar enrichment alone as proof of specificity (general IHC practice).

Sample controls for HNRNPM IHC & IF

🧪Run bone marrow first: hematopoietic cells should show nuclear staining (HPA: High in bone marrow hematopoietic cells; UniProt P52272: nucleus, nucleolus). HPA detects HNRNPM in all 45 scored tissues, so there is no supported negative tissue; use no-primary and isotype controls, and treat cells without nuclear signal on the positive slide as background comparators, not validated target-negative cells (HPA: no negative tissue rows).
Positive control tissue: Adipose tissue (Adipocytes, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: None in HPA: HNRNPM is detected in all 45 scored tissues. Use a no-primary (secondary-only) and an isotype control instead.
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show HNRNPM in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, KOLF2.1J, U2OS, siRNA 1 (10x), U2OS, siRNA 1 (40x), U2OS, siRNA 2 (10x), U2OS, siRNA 2 (40x), U2OS, scrambled (10x), U2OS, scrambled (40x), with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only section, a concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype control for the captioned rabbit primary, and a matched HNRNPM knockout sample where available (selected-SKU caption: rabbit anti-HNRNPM). Quench endogenous peroxidase and inspect background in bone marrow before interpreting DAB staining (HPA: bone marrow hematopoietic cells, High; standard chromogenic IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window and fixation effect are unreported; the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption also leaves the fixative unstated (selected-SKU tissue-IHC caption). Retrieval dependence is unestablished, although that caption uses heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0; endogenous peroxidase in marrow can complicate chromogenic scoring (selected-SKU tissue-IHC caption; standard IHC practice). Frozen-section performance and whether IF is easier are unreported, though HPA ICC-IF images support nucleoplasmic localization (HPA: nucleoplasm, approved).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for HNRNPM

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

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Adrenal gland Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Adipocytes High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
None in HPA: HNRNPM is detected in all 45 scored tissues. Use a no-primary (secondary-only) and an isotype control instead.
Section 3

Advanced HNRNPM IHC Tips

Use nuclear staining, matched controls and the catalog antibody’s tissue workflow to troubleshoot HNRNPM chromogenic IHC in paraffin sections.

How should I adjust retrieval when nuclear HNRNPM staining is weak?
Start with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 for paraffin sections (datasheet M06017-1). The selected image used this retrieval before 1:50 primary antibody overnight at 4°C (datasheet M06017-1). If nuclei remain faint, compare retrieval duration or heating intensity on adjacent sections while keeping antibody incubation and DAB development constant (standard IHC practice). Excessive retrieval can damage morphology and make nuclear scoring unreliable, so inspect counterstained cells alongside signal (standard IHC practice). Judge improvement by nuclear staining with preserved tissue structure, consistent with HNRNPM’s expected location (UniProt P52272; HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression).
Can fixation explain weak HNRNPM staining in my paraffin sections?
The selected tissue caption identifies a paraffin section but does not report its fixative, so HNRNPM-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown (datasheet M06017-1). Record the fixative and processing history for each case, then compare sections processed alike before changing the antibody concentration (standard IHC practice). Start troubleshooting with the documented EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and 1:50 primary incubation overnight at 4°C (datasheet M06017-1). If staining varies between blocks, examine morphology, section adhesion and retrieval consistency using adjacent sections (standard IHC practice). Avoid assigning a target-specific fixation effect without a controlled comparison; nuclear staining provides the relevant readout (HPA: ubiquitous nuclear expression).
Where should a convincing HNRNPM signal appear in chromogenic IHC?
Score staining primarily within intact nuclei: tissue IHC shows ubiquitous nuclear expression, while subcellular imaging places HNRNPM in the nucleoplasm (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). UniProt also lists the nucleus and nucleolus, so note a reproducible nucleolar pattern separately rather than pooling it with diffuse nuclear intensity (UniProt P52272). Compare DAB with the counterstain at high magnification to distinguish nuclear signal from pigment or cytoplasmic haze (standard IHC practice). The protein has no transmembrane segment, so a dominant sharp membrane rim needs independent validation (UniProt P52272 topology). Include a section processed without primary antibody when judging unexpected compartments (standard IHC practice).
Could isoforms or epitope masking explain different HNRNPM staining patterns?
HNRNPM has 3 annotated isoforms and RNA recognition motifs at residues 71–149, 204–281 and 653–729 (UniProt P52272). Its listed modified residues include phosphorylation and acetylation sites, but the supplied material does not map the catalog antibody’s epitope (UniProt P52272; datasheet M06017-1). Therefore, an apparent staining difference cannot establish isoform selection or modification sensitivity on its own (standard antibody interpretation). Keep retrieval at EDTA pH 8.0 and compare matched sections under the same detection conditions before interpreting a changed pattern (datasheet M06017-1; standard IHC practice). Seek epitope or isoform validation data if that distinction drives the biological conclusion (standard IHC practice).
How can IF clarify an ambiguous HNRNPM IHC localisation result?
Use IF as an orthogonal localisation check when DAB obscures nuclear boundaries: HNRNPM is chiefly nucleoplasmic in subcellular images (HPA subcellular). Pair HNRNPM with a nuclear counterstain and a marker for the cell type being assessed; glandular cells in appendix are one documented high-expression population (HPA tissue IHC). Choose a fluorophore channel with low tissue autofluorescence and inspect single-channel controls before calling colocalisation (standard IF practice). Because HNRNPM is intracellular and lacks a transmembrane segment, permeabilise sufficiently to expose nuclear antigen while preserving morphology (UniProt P52272 topology; standard IF practice). Report IF findings separately from the paraffin-section IHC result (standard assay interpretation).
What causes diffuse brown background around HNRNPM-positive nuclei?
First distinguish true nuclear staining from diffuse deposit: HNRNPM is reported as ubiquitously nuclear in tissue (HPA tissue IHC). The selected paraffin-section example used 10% goat serum, a peroxidase-linked secondary antibody and DAB development (datasheet M06017-1). Check a no-primary control for secondary binding, endogenous peroxidase or chromogen deposition, and apply a peroxidase block as part of the general chromogenic workflow (standard IHC practice). Compare background in tissue and empty areas, then adjust blocking, washes or detection exposure one variable at a time (standard IHC practice). Retain the documented 1:50 primary dilution initially so background changes remain interpretable (datasheet M06017-1).
How should I quantify HNRNPM staining across paraffin tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and score nuclear signal, consistent with HNRNPM’s tissue distribution and nucleoplasmic localisation (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). For intensity comparisons, report an H-score with the percentage of cells at each prespecified intensity; alternatively report percent nuclear-positive cells (standard IHC scoring). Normalise each result to the number of evaluable nuclei in the same annotated tissue compartment, excluding folds, necrosis and damaged edges (standard IHC practice). If spatial abundance matters, report positive nuclei per mm² of viable annotated tissue alongside cell density (standard morphometry). Use identical retrieval, DAB development, counterstaining and thresholds across comparison groups (standard IHC practice).
When is an unexpected HNRNPM IHC pattern likely to be artefactual?
A convincing result places DAB in intact nuclei, matching the supported ubiquitous nuclear tissue profile and approved nucleoplasmic location (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). Review dominant membrane or diffuse extracellular staining cautiously because HNRNPM has no transmembrane segment and is annotated in the nucleus and nucleolus (UniProt P52272). Compare the suspect area with viable cells away from cut edges, folds and necrosis, where morphology permits reliable compartment assignment (standard IHC practice). A no-primary control can reveal endogenous peroxidase or detection-related colour before attributing DAB to HNRNPM (standard IHC practice). Interpret differences between cell populations against the broadly distributed tissue profile, using matched processing and nuclear scoring (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best HNRNPM / Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M IHC Antibodies

Two anti-HNRNPM antibodies have paraffin-section IHC images (catalog IHC captions); A06017 also has an IF image in MCF7 cells (catalog IF caption).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of HNRNPM using anti-HNRNPM antibody (M06017-1). HNRNPM was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human rectal cancer tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1:50 rabbit anti-HNRNPM Antibody (M06017-1) 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-HNRNPM Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M06017-1
Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry analysis of paraffin-embedded human breast carcinoma tissue, using hnRNP M Antibody. The picture on the right is blocked with the synthesized peptide.
Anti-hnRNP M Antibody
Cat # A06017

M06017-1 will render with IHC data from human rectal carcinoma, human stomach carcinoma, mouse liver and rat liver paraffin sections (M06017-1 IHC captions). A06017 will render with IHC data from human breast carcinoma paraffin sections and has IF data from MCF7 cells (A06017 image captions).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC across human, mouse and rat samples, choose monoclonal M06017-1: its IHC captions document paraffin sections from all three species (M06017-1 catalog; M06017-1 IHC captions). For IF/ICC, choose polyclonal A06017 when an IF image is useful: its catalog lists IF/ICC and shows IF staining in MCF7 cells (A06017 catalog; A06017 IF caption). Both IHC captions specify paraffin sections; neither reports the fixative (catalog IHC captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P52272 (HNRPM_HUMAN, Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. HNRNPM tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. HNRNPM subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the nucleoplasm..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. HNRNPM antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Downregulation of HNRNPM inhibits cell proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma through MAPK/AKT signaling pathway. Translational cancer research 2022 — PMC9372219.
  6. Targeting HNRNPM Inhibits Cancer Stemness and Enhances Antitumor Immunity in Wnt-activated Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology 2022 — PMC8938476.
  7. Histone lactylation-boosted AURKB facilitates colorectal cancer progression by inhibiting HNRNPM-mediated PSAT1 mRNA degradation. Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR 2025 — PMC12337393.
  8. PubMed PMID:8441656 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  9. PubMed PMID:8692693 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.