INA / Alpha-internexin · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for INA

This guide uses cerebellar granular-layer processes as a positive reference for INA staining in paraffin sections (HPA tissue IHC). It covers chromogenic detection with an IHC-validated antibody used at 2 μg/mL in human brain sections (datasheet A03756-1).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for INA (IHC for INA): expected localisation Processes in cerebellar granular layer (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A03756-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable INA IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Processes in cerebellar granular layer (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A03756-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full INA IHC guide →

INA 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 Processes in cerebellar granular layer (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern CNS neuronal cells and processes; some adrenal cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A03756-1)
Positive control ⓘ Cerebellum+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 fixation consistent across sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Leydig cells also show high staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Predominantly expressed in adult CNS (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope No annotated isoforms; one 1–499 chain (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended INA IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody protocol (datasheet: A03756-1) is accompanied by two published chromogenic INA IHC protocols (PMC3617314; PMC5039014).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded mouse brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A03756-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A03756-1); 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 A03756-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A03756-1)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-INA, 2-5μg/ml (datasheet A03756-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A03756-1)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A03756-1)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultINA-positive staining in processes in granular layer of cerebellum (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Distinct expression in the CNS and in a subset of adrenal gland cells. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval (datasheet: A03756-1); citrate pH 6.0 autoclaving is a published alternative (PMC3617314).
Section 2

What Is the Expected INA Staining Pattern?

INA is a class-IV neuronal intermediate-filament protein found predominantly in adult CNS (UniProt Q16352). In paraffin-section IHC, expect staining in neuronal cells and processes, especially cerebellar granular-layer processes (HPA tissue IHC). Intermediate-filament localisation is supported by ICC-IF and should guide compartment checks without being treated as a tissue-specific IHC observation (HPA subcellular). INA has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q16352 topology). The tissue IHC profile has Enhanced reliability (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Strong staining in cerebellar granular-layer processes, with a filament-like pattern.This matches the strongest CNS observation in the supplied tissue set: High staining in these processes (HPA tissue IHC). A filament-like appearance is consistent with INA’s intermediate-filament function (UniProt Q16352) and approved ICC-IF localisation (HPA subcellular). Score the processes separately from nearby cell bodies; the tissue observation identifies a compartment, not uniform staining of every cell in the layer.
Moderate staining in neuronal cells of caudate, cerebral cortex, or hippocampus.Neuronal cells in each of these regions are reported at Medium intensity (HPA tissue IHC). Their signal provides a plausible positive result alongside the stronger cerebellar-process reference. Compare the labelled cells and their compartments with local tissue architecture; do not require every neuron or every CNS region to have the same intensity.
Predominantly nuclear or sharply cell-surface staining in a putative positive field.Neither pattern fits the approved intermediate-filament location, with cytosol as an additional location (HPA subcellular), or INA’s lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q16352 topology). Treat it as a localisation mismatch and investigate artefact or nonspecific staining. ICC-IF localisation guides this check, but does not prove the exact appearance of every paraffin-section tissue.
Strong staining in adipocytes or unrelated epithelial cells while the expected positive cells are unconvincing.Adipocytes in adipose tissue and respiratory epithelial cells in bronchus are reported as Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Check whether the colour follows the intended cell type; a discordant pattern raises cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity as possibilities (general IHC practice). A tissue-level comparison alone cannot identify which mechanism caused it.
Widespread pale colour obscures neuronal processes, or no signal appears in a known-positive region.Diffuse colour that fails to resolve cells or processes is background, not the distinct CNS pattern reported by HPA (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). Conversely, an unstained cerebellar granular layer conflicts with its reported High process staining (HPA tissue IHC). Review the run controls before interpreting either result as an INA expression change.
💡Expected INA appearanceCall a result positive when staining follows neuronal cells or processes, ideally with High cerebellar granular-layer process signal or Medium caudate, cortical, or hippocampal neuronal signal (HPA tissue IHC), and regard isolated nuclear, cell-surface, or unexpected negative-tissue staining as a possible false positive (HPA subcellular; UniProt Q16352 topology; general IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Tissue and cell choiceCerebellar granular-layer processes are High; caudate, cortical, and hippocampal neuronal cells are Medium (HPA tissue IHC). Adrenal glandular cells are Medium and testicular Leydig cells are High in the supplied HPA observations (HPA tissue IHC). Those findings mean a CNS-only scoring rule would miss reported positives, although each result still needs its stated cell context.
Compartment and protein organisationINA has an intermediate-filament rod at residues 94–407, can self-assemble, and can associate with other neurofilament proteins (UniProt Q16352). HPA places it mainly on intermediate filaments and additionally in cytosol by ICC-IF (HPA subcellular). These facts support a filament-associated interpretation; they do not specify the appearance of every paraffin section.
Antibody evidence and limitsTwo listed antibodies have Enhanced IHC status, while another has Approved ICC status without a listed IHC status (HPA antibodies). The tissue profile’s Enhanced reliability reflects consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC). Use the application-specific validation when weighing an unexpected pattern; ICC approval alone does not establish paraffin-section IHC performance.
IF/ICC: should the same appearance be expected?HPA ICC-IF reports mainly intermediate filaments and additional cytosol (HPA subcellular). That supports a compartment check in fluorescent images, while the paraffin-section tissue intensities come from IHC (HPA tissue IHC). Compare each result within its own application; no IF/ICC protocol or matching tissue-intensity claim is supplied here.
Processing and fixation evidenceUniProt lists one 1–499 chain, no signal peptide, no propeptide, and no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q16352). These features do not establish an epitope or antigen-retrieval setting. Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unreported in the supplied UniProt and HPA records; choose and assess retrieval using the antibody’s own IHC instructions and run controls (general IHC practice).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Cerebellar granular-layer processes show no detectable stain.The expected High process signal is missing (HPA tissue IHC); section handling, retrieval, primary-antibody conditions, or detection may have failed (general IHC practice).Confirm that the positive-control section and detection controls worked, then check the recorded retrieval, primary-antibody dilution, incubation, and detection steps against the antibody’s IHC instructions (general IHC practice). Do not infer INA loss from a failed run.
Signal is confined to nuclei or crisp cell borders.This conflicts with the approved intermediate-filament and additional cytosolic locations (HPA subcellular) and with the absence of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q16352 topology).Re-examine the counterstain and cellular boundaries, then compare a known-positive region and appropriate negative controls under the same detection conditions (general IHC practice). Record the localisation mismatch before assigning a positive score.
Adipocytes or bronchial epithelial cells stain strongly.Those cell types are Not detected in the supplied tissue observations (HPA tissue IHC); nonspecific primary binding or endogenous detection activity could produce discordant colour (general IHC practice).Run a no-primary control and the detection-system controls appropriate to the chromogen, then compare staining with an expected positive compartment (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). A control result can narrow the cause; the unexpected tissue alone cannot.
A diffuse wash of colour masks neuronal cells and processes.Broad colour without discernible structures prevents comparison with the distinct CNS staining pattern (HPA tissue IHC); incomplete blocking, washing, or excessive detection signal are possible general causes (general IHC practice).Inspect the no-primary control, wash and blocking records, and chromogen development; adjust the general IHC workflow only after identifying the step responsible (general IHC practice). Rescore once the processes can be distinguished.
Cerebellar processes stain, but cortical neurons look weaker.That difference can match High cerebellar-process versus Medium cortical-neuronal observations (HPA tissue IHC).Score intensity by the specified tissue and cell type, with the same run controls and scoring threshold (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). Do not call the cortical result negative solely because it is weaker than the cerebellar reference.
An ICC-IF image looks filamentous, but the paraffin-section result is discordant.The approved ICC-IF compartment and the IHC tissue observations describe different applications (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC); the listed ICC-approved antibody lacks a stated IHC status (HPA antibodies).Review the IHC antibody’s application-specific validation and the paraffin-section positive and negative controls before transferring an ICC-IF interpretation to IHC (HPA antibodies; general IHC practice).

Sample controls for INA IHC & IF

🧪Run cerebellum first: processes in the granular layer should stain strongly (HPA: High). Use adipose tissue as the negative tissue because adipocytes are not detected (HPA: Not detected); on the cerebellum slide, assess structures outside the stained processes for background rather than assuming every neighboring cell is INA-negative (HPA: High in processes in the granular layer).
Positive control tissue: Cerebellum (Processes in granular layer, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show INA in SH-SY5Y, SiHa, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Intermediate filaments (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control, a concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype control, and INA-knockout tissue as a biological negative if available (caption: rabbit primary; standard IHC practice). For chromogenic detection, block endogenous peroxidase and assess endogenous biotin background because the reported detection uses a streptavidin–biotin complex with DAB (caption: SABC with DAB; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported, and the selected A03756-1 paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (caption: fixative not stated). The caption reports heat retrieval in EDTA, pH 8.0, but does not establish that retrieval is required (caption: EDTA retrieval). The supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier; for cerebellum, judge staining in granular-layer processes against surrounding background, particularly when using biotin-based detection (HPA: High in processes in granular layer; caption: SABC with DAB).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for INA

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

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Cerebellum Processes in granular layer High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Testis Leydig cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Adrenal gland Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Neuronal cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Neuronal cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bronchus Respiratory epithelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced INA IHC Tips

Use neuronal process staining, matched controls, and the catalog antibody’s documented paraffin section conditions to troubleshoot INA chromogenic IHC (HPA tissue IHC; datasheet A03756-1).

Which retrieval conditions should I try first for weak INA staining in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 for paraffin sections (datasheet A03756-1). The selected mouse brain image used this retrieval condition before staining with 2 μg/ml catalog antibody overnight at 4°C (caption A03756-1). If staining is weak, check that sections were fully deparaffinised and compare a short and longer heating cycle while holding buffer, pH, and detection constant (standard IHC practice). Include a known positive brain section in each run, and judge improvement by staining of neuronal processes rather than diffuse tissue colour (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven INA staining?
Target-specific INA sensitivity to fixative type or duration is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected paraffin section caption does not state its fixative (caption A03756-1). Record the fixative, time before immersion, fixation duration, and section thickness for each specimen so weak staining can be traced to processing differences (standard IHC practice). Compare sections processed under the same conditions with a positive brain control, using EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval throughout (datasheet A03756-1; standard IHC practice). Patchy staining across a section warrants checking tissue preservation and retrieval uniformity before changing antibody concentration (standard IHC practice).
What staining pattern should count as correctly localised INA?
Expect filamentous staining in neuronal cell bodies and processes: INA is a neuronal intermediate filament, and its approved subcellular location is intermediate filaments, with additional cytosolic localisation (UniProt Q16352 function; HPA subcellular). Cerebellar granular-layer processes show high staining, while neuronal cells in caudate, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus show medium staining in the reference tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). Compare the shape of DAB deposits with the counterstained tissue structure at matched magnification (standard IHC practice). A predominantly nuclear or uniform extracellular signal does not fit the supported localisation and should prompt control and background checks (HPA subcellular; standard IHC practice).
How should epitope uncertainty affect interpretation of a negative INA stain?
The supplied record lists 0 isoforms and an intermediate filament rod spanning residues 94–407, but it does not map this antibody’s epitope (UniProt Q16352 record). INA also has recorded phosphorylation and acetylation sites, so avoid attributing staining differences to a particular modification without epitope and modification-specific validation (UniProt Q16352 modified residues; standard IHC practice). First confirm that the positive control stains under the documented EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval condition (datasheet A03756-1; standard IHC practice). If it does, report a negative sample as undetected under those conditions rather than evidence that an INA isoform is absent (standard IHC interpretation).
How can I assess INA localisation by IF alongside a neuronal marker?
Use IF as a separate assay and multiplex INA with a neuronal marker such as NEFL to assess whether signals follow the expected filament-bearing cells and processes (UniProt Q16352 function and subunit; standard IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores, favouring a red or far-red channel when the specimen has strong short-wavelength autofluorescence, and inspect single-channel images before merging (standard IF practice). INA has no transmembrane segment and is associated with intracellular intermediate filaments, so permeabilise sufficiently to expose the intracellular epitope while preserving processes (UniProt Q16352 topology; HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Establish fixation and permeabilisation conditions with IF controls rather than transferring settings from the paraffin section caption (standard IF practice).
How do I distinguish INA signal from brown background?
The documented paraffin section method uses a biotinylated secondary, a streptavidin–biotin complex, and DAB, so inspect background arising from the detection sequence as well as primary antibody staining (caption A03756-1; standard IHC practice). Run a no-primary control and, where appropriate, an endogenous biotin control; quench endogenous peroxidase before DAB development as a general chromogenic IHC step (standard IHC practice). Keep section thickness, DAB development time, and counterstain comparable across slides (standard IHC practice). Diffuse colour that persists without primary antibody, especially away from neuronal processes, should not be scored as INA (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
What is a defensible way to quantify INA staining across sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define anatomical regions and analysis thresholds before scoring, then quantify DAB-positive neuronal processes as stained area or process density per mm² of evaluable tissue (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC image analysis). For regions with clearly identifiable neuronal somata, report the percentage of positive cells and, if intensity categories are reproducible, an H-score (standard IHC scoring practice). Normalise process measurements to viable tissue area, and cell measurements to the total number of eligible neurons in the same region (standard IHC scoring practice). Use matched section thickness, imaging, and DAB development conditions, with a positive control on each run (standard IHC practice).
When should an apparent INA-positive area be treated as artefact?
A convincing result follows neuronal cells or processes, particularly the granular-layer processes reported as high in cerebellum, and is compatible with an intracellular filament pattern (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). Treat isolated nuclear, broadly extracellular, or unexpected cell staining cautiously and compare it with the counterstain and neighbouring structures (HPA subcellular; standard IHC interpretation). Edge-only staining, damaged or necrotic areas, and brown deposits retained in a no-primary control suggest processing or detection artefact (standard IHC practice). Check peroxidase blocking and the biotin-based detection controls before assigning such deposits to INA (caption A03756-1; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best INA / Alpha-internexin IHC Antibodies

Anti-INA antibodies have IHC images from paraffin sections of human, mouse and rat tissues, plus IF images from human cells and rodent brain sections (catalog image captions).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of Alpha Internexin/INA using anti-Alpha Internexin/INA antibody (A03756-1). Alpha Internexin/INA was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of mouse brain 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-Alpha Internexin/INA Antibody (A03756-1) 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-alpha Internexin/INA Antibody ®
Cat # A03756-1
Real IHC data IHC analysis of Alpha Internexin using anti-Alpha Internexin antibody (PB10003). Alpha Internexin was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human glioma 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-Alpha Internexin Antibody (PB10003) 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-Alpha Internexin/INA Antibody ®
Cat # PB10003

A03756-1 has IHC images from human, mouse and rat brain paraffin sections and IF images from SiHa cells and rat brain sections (A03756-1 image captions). PB10003 has IHC images from human glioma and mouse and rat brain paraffin sections and IF images from A549 cells and mouse and rat brain sections (PB10003 image captions).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A03756-1 for brain sections or PB10003 for the documented human glioma example; each IHC caption describes a paraffin section with EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval, and neither reports the fixative (A03756-1 and PB10003 IHC image captions). For IF/ICC, choose by the documented sample: A03756-1 for SiHa cells or PB10003 for A549 cells (A03756-1 and PB10003 IF image captions). Both list IHC and IF/ICC applications and human, mouse and rat reactivity, with IHC images across all three species; neither catalog entry specifies a clone, so clonality does not distinguish them (catalog applications, reactivity and clone fields; IHC image captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q16352 (AINX_HUMAN, Alpha-internexin).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. INA tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. INA subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the intermediate filaments. In addition localized to the cytosol..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. INA antibody validation summary (3 antibodies).
  5. Alpha internexin expression related with molecular characteristics in adult glioblastoma and oligodendroglioma. Journal of Korean medical science 2013 — PMC3617314.
  6. The clinical implications and biologic relevance of neurofilament expression in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Cancer 2012 — PMC3312048.
  7. Spatial patterns of FUS-immunoreactive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions (NCI) in neuronal intermediate filament inclusion disease (NIFID). Journal of neural transmission (Vienna, Austria : 1996) 2011 — PMC3199334.
  8. A truncating SOD1 mutation, p.Gly141X, is associated with clinical and pathologic heterogeneity, including frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Acta neuropathologica 2015 — PMC5039014.
  9. PubMed PMID:7769995 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:15164054 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.