IRAK1 / Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for IRAK1

Plan chromogenic IRAK1 staining in paraffin sections with the IHC-validated antibody (datasheet A01021-1). Use cytoplasmic staining and cell-type differences in tissue examples to choose controls and score sections (HPA tissue IHC).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for IRAK1 (IHC for IRAK1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A01021-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable IRAK1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A01021-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full IRAK1 IHC guide →

IRAK1 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 tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Broad cytoplasmic staining that varies by cell type (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Citrate pH 6 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01021-1)
Positive control ⓘ Breast+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+2 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Keep fixation conditions consistent between sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Adipocytes and skeletal myocytes may be unstained (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation TLR activation phosphorylates IRAK1 (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope Four isoforms; verify antibody epitope coverage (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended IRAK1 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet: A01021-1) is followed by three published IRAK1 staining protocols for liver, gastric and breast tissue (PMC5367901; PMC12521082; PMC6438138).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human Ovarian cancer tissues; fixative not specified (datasheet A01021-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01021-1); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: Citrate pH 6, 20 min (datasheet A01021-1)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A01021-1)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-IRAK1, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet A01021-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A01021-1)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A01021-1)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultIRAK1-positive staining in glandular cells of breast (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated citrate retrieval at pH 6 for the catalog antibody (datasheet: A01021-1); the breast tissue study also used citrate buffer but did not state its pH (PMC6438138).
Section 2

What Is the Expected IRAK1 Staining Pattern?

IRAK1 is expected mainly in the cytoplasm of many cell types, including breast and colon glandular cells and placental trophoblastic cells (HPA: ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression; High in these cells). Nuclear localization can occur under specific conditions (UniProt P51617: nuclear translocation when sumoylated). IRAK1 has no transmembrane segment, so a membrane-restricted pattern is unexpected (UniProt P51617 topology). HPA rates its tissue IHC profile Supported, with medium consistency against RNA data (HPA: tissue IHC reliability).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in breast or colon glandular cells, or placental trophoblastic cells.This matches high signal reported in those cells (HPA: High in breast and colon glandular cells; High in placental trophoblastic cells). Judge the named cells rather than treating every cell in a positive tissue as equally positive (HPA: cell-level tissue IHC profile).
Cytoplasmic staining with some nuclear signal in the same cell population.Cytoplasm is the expected dominant compartment (HPA: ubiquitous cytoplasmic tissue expression). Nuclear IRAK1 is biologically plausible when sumoylated (UniProt P51617: nuclear translocation); supported ICC-IF data also show additional nucleoplasmic localization (HPA: subcellular). Nuclear staining alone needs control review before assigning it to IRAK1 (general IHC practice).
A crisp membrane-restricted rim or signal confined to an unexpected compartment.That pattern conflicts with IRAK1's lack of a transmembrane segment and its reported cytoplasmic tissue distribution (UniProt P51617 topology; HPA: tissue IHC profile). Check staining controls and morphology for artefact before interpreting it as target localization (general IHC practice).
Strong staining in adipocytes, skeletal myocytes or smooth muscle cells.HPA reports IRAK1 as Not detected in these cell types (HPA: adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and smooth muscle IHC). Check whether the signal belongs to an adjacent cell, then assess cross-reactivity or detection background; a tissue label alone does not identify the stained cell (general IHC practice).
Diffuse signal across tissue and blank areas, or no signal in a named high-staining cell population.Uniform haze lacks the cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern in HPA tissue IHC (HPA: tissue IHC profile). Conversely, absent staining in breast or colon glandular cells merits a run-control check before a biological negative call (HPA: High in those cells; general IHC practice).
💡Expected IRAK1 appearanceCall a result positive when a defined cell population shows predominantly cytoplasmic chromogenic signal, with clearly detectable staining in HPA high-staining glandular or trophoblastic cells; a membrane-only rim, staining of HPA Not detected cell types or diffuse background is suspect (HPA: tissue IHC profile; UniProt P51617 topology; general IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Tissue and cell selectionIRAK1 staining is broadly cytoplasmic, but its reported level varies by cell population (HPA: tissue IHC profile). Breast and colon glandular cells and placental trophoblastic cells are High; adipocytes and skeletal or smooth muscle cells are Not detected (HPA: tissue IHC). Use the cell identity when choosing and reading controls.
Localization and activation stateCytoplasmic staining fits the tissue profile, while nuclear localization is possible when IRAK1 is sumoylated (HPA: tissue IHC profile; UniProt P51617: sumoylation-dependent nuclear translocation). A nuclear pattern by itself does not show that sumoylation occurred; interpretation needs appropriate controls (general IHC practice).
Isoforms and antibody epitopeUniProt lists four IRAK1 isoforms and reports isoforms 1 and 2 across examined tissues, with isoform 1 more strongly expressed (UniProt P51617: isoforms; tissue specificity). The supplied evidence gives no antibody epitope or isoform coverage, so it cannot support an isoform-specific staining call.
IHC evidence strengthHPA rates the tissue profile Supported and describes medium agreement between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA: tissue IHC reliability). The listed antibodies, HPA054476 and CAB004461, each have Supported IHC status; neither is listed here as IHC Enhanced (HPA: antibody validation payload).
IF/ICC Q&A: should the compartment match?Yes: mainly cytosolic signal, with additional nucleoplasmic signal, is the supported ICC-IF localization (HPA: subcellular). This informs compartment interpretation, but IF/ICC is a separate application; it does not establish an IHC-P staining intensity, dilution or workflow (HPA: subcellular; general IHC practice).
Chromogenic detection backgroundEndogenous enzyme activity can create staining when an enzyme-based detection system is used (general IHC practice). Assess the detection system and its controls before calling weak or diffuse chromogen IRAK1-positive; the supplied HPA and UniProt records do not identify an IRAK1-specific background mechanism.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
No signal in breast or colon glandular cells.These populations are reported High, so a blank slide could reflect an unsuccessful staining run; the record does not establish a target-specific fixation effect (HPA: breast and colon IHC; general IHC practice).Confirm the named cells are present and review a known-positive control, reagent delivery and detection steps; optimize retrieval only as a general IHC variable (general IHC practice).
Staining is strongest in adipocytes or muscle cells.Those cell types are reported Not detected; mistaken cell assignment, cross-reactivity or background may explain discordance (HPA: adipose and muscle IHC; general IHC practice).Recheck cell morphology and compare with an appropriate control slide and no-primary control before making a positive call (general IHC practice).
Most of the section shows diffuse chromogen.Diffuse staining does not resemble the reported cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern; detection background is one possible source (HPA: tissue IHC profile; general IHC practice).Inspect a no-primary control and review blocking, washing and chromogen development for the detection system in use (general IHC practice).
Signal forms a membrane-only rim.A membrane-restricted pattern conflicts with IRAK1's lack of a transmembrane segment and reported cytoplasmic staining (UniProt P51617 topology; HPA: tissue IHC profile).Check morphology and controls; verify that the rim is not edge artefact or signal from an adjacent cell before assigning localization (general IHC practice).
Nuclei stain while cytoplasm is absent or faint.Nuclear IRAK1 is possible, but the dominant reported pattern is cytoplasmic; nuclear signal alone is insufficient to infer sumoylation (UniProt P51617: localization; HPA: tissue IHC and subcellular).Compare with a named high-staining cell population and a no-primary control, then report the observed compartment without assigning an activation state (HPA: tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
Signal varies between otherwise comparable sections.Differences in tissue composition or routine staining conditions can change the apparent result; no IRAK1-specific fixation sensitivity is supplied (HPA: cell-level tissue IHC; general IHC practice).Compare the same cell population, include a run control and review retrieval, antibody dilution and detection conditions as general IHC variables (general IHC practice).

Sample controls for IRAK1 IHC & IF

🧪Run breast first: glandular cells should stain (HPA: High in breast glandular cells). Use adipose tissue as a negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); adipocytes on the breast slide, if present, should provide an internal negative comparison (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes).
Positive control tissue: Breast (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show IRAK1 in MCF-7, U-251MG, U2OS, RPTEC/TERT1, hTERT-RPE1 (serum starved), with annotated localisation: Cytosol (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a rabbit isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s clonality if known (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary). Use IRAK1 knockout tissue or cells as a biological negative; for chromogenic staining, block endogenous peroxidase and check for endogenous biotin background because the reported detection uses a biotinylated secondary and streptavidin–biotin complex (selected-SKU caption).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not state the fixative (selected-SKU caption). The reported IHC procedure uses heat retrieval in citrate buffer at pH 6 for 20 minutes, but retrieval dependence has not been established (selected-SKU caption). There is no supplied comparison showing that frozen sections or IF are easier; on breast sections, check adipocyte-rich areas for background before scoring glandular staining (HPA: High in breast glandular cells; Not detected in adipocytes).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for IRAK1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Supported — 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
Breast Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Processes in granular layer High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Neuronal cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Colon Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Hippocampus Glial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skeletal muscle Myocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Smooth muscle Smooth muscle cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced IRAK1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot IRAK1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell identity and controls before comparing signal intensity.

What retrieval conditions should I try when IRAK1 staining is weak?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in citrate buffer at pH 6 for 20 minutes (datasheet A01021-1). That condition produced IRAK1 staining in a paraffin-embedded human ovarian cancer section incubated with 1 μg/mL catalog antibody overnight at 4°C (datasheet A01021-1). If staining remains weak, adjust heating or cooling within your laboratory’s validated retrieval workflow before testing another buffer as a fallback (standard IHC practice). Run the original condition beside each change and compare signal in the same cell population, since HPA reports IRAK1 expression across many tissues but variable staining among cell types (HPA tissue IHC).
How should I troubleshoot variable IRAK1 staining across differently fixed sections?
The selected paraffin-section caption does not report its fixative, so IRAK1 sensitivity to fixation is unknown for this antibody (datasheet A01021-1). Record each specimen’s fixative, fixation duration and processing history, then compare sections using the same citrate pH 6, 20-minute retrieval and antibody incubation (datasheet A01021-1; standard IHC practice). Include a consistently processed reference section in each run to distinguish specimen variation from staining-run variation (standard IHC practice). If longer-fixed samples stain less, treat that as an observation requiring matched controls; neither IRAK1’s intracellular topology nor its phosphorylation sites establish a fixation effect (UniProt P51617 topology and modified residues).
Is nuclear or punctate IRAK1 staining plausible in paraffin sections?
Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining in tissue sections because HPA describes ubiquitous cytoplasmic IRAK1 expression, while its cell imaging supports cytosol as the main location (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). Nuclear signal can be plausible: UniProt reports nuclear translocation when IRAK1 is sumoylated, and HPA lists nucleoplasm as an additional supported location (UniProt P51617 subcellular; HPA subcellular). UniProt also reports lipid-droplet recruitment by RSAD2/viperin by similarity, which alone cannot establish the identity of puncta in a section (UniProt P51617 subcellular). Compare nuclear and punctate staining with cytoplasmic signal, cell morphology and matched controls before assigning a compartment (standard IHC practice).
Can this IHC assay distinguish IRAK1 isoforms or phosphorylation states?
Do not assign an isoform or phosphorylation state from total IRAK1 staining unless the antibody’s epitope and selectivity have been established (standard IHC interpretation). UniProt lists 4 isoforms and reports that isoforms 1 and 2 occur in all tissues examined, with isoform 1 more strongly expressed (UniProt P51617 isoforms and tissue specificity). IRAK1 contains a death domain at residues 27–106, a kinase domain at 212–521, and multiple modified residues (UniProt P51617 domains and modified residues). The supplied IHC caption specifies antibody concentration and retrieval but gives no epitope map or phospho-selectivity claim; check those properties before making a variant-specific interpretation (datasheet A01021-1).
How can IF help verify which cells carry an ambiguous IHC signal?
Use a separate IF assay to compare IRAK1 with a validated marker of the expected cell type; for example, HPA reports high staining in ovarian follicle cells and breast glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC). Select spectrally separated fluorophores, placing a dim IRAK1 signal in a channel with low measured tissue autofluorescence, and include single-color controls for multiplex analysis (standard IF practice). IRAK1 has no transmembrane segment and is mainly cytosolic, with additional nucleoplasmic localization, so permeabilize fixed cells or sections sufficiently to access intracellular epitopes (UniProt P51617 topology; HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Establish IF fixation and permeabilization empirically; the paraffin IHC caption does not report fixation or validate an IF protocol (datasheet A01021-1).
What should I check when IRAK1 DAB staining appears widespread?
First compare the stained section with a no-primary control and inspect whether color appears in tissue compartments that lack clear cellular staining (standard IHC practice). The catalog IHC example used 10% goat serum blocking, a biotinylated secondary antibody, a streptavidin–biotin detection complex and DAB; those details identify points at which nonspecific binding or detection background should be checked (datasheet A01021-1; standard IHC practice). Include a peroxidase block and assess endogenous biotin where relevant to that detection system (standard IHC practice). Because HPA describes broadly distributed cytoplasmic IRAK1, widespread signal alone cannot distinguish expression from background; judge morphology and controls together (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
How should I score IRAK1 across sections with different cell mixtures? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring; HPA reports high IRAK1 staining in some glandular, neuronal and glial populations, with other listed populations low or undetected (HPA tissue IHC). For DAB sections, record the percentage of positive cells and an intensity-weighted H-score within the annotated population, using the same thresholds across the comparison (standard IHC quantification). If the question concerns infiltrating positive cells, report their density per mm² of evaluable tissue and the annotated area used as denominator (standard IHC quantification). Normalize comparisons to the same cell type, compartment and viable tissue area rather than whole-section color, and exclude folds or necrotic regions (standard IHC practice).
How do I separate genuine IRAK1 staining from tissue artefacts?
A credible pattern should match identifiable cells and show chiefly cytoplasmic staining, consistent with HPA’s tissue profile and supported cytosolic localization (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). Nuclear staining deserves separate review because IRAK1 can translocate when sumoylated, but nuclear color alone does not demonstrate that modification (UniProt P51617 subcellular; standard IHC interpretation). Check whether signal is concentrated at section edges, folds or necrotic areas, or persists in a no-primary control; those findings support a staining artefact (standard IHC practice). With DAB detection, investigate endogenous peroxidase and the biotin-based detection system before assigning diffuse color to IRAK1 (datasheet A01021-1; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best IRAK1 / Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 IHC Antibodies

Anti-IRAK1 antibodies have IHC images from human ovarian cancer paraffin sections and rat liver, plus IF images from human A549 and HeLa cells (catalog image captions).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of IRAK1 using anti-IRAK1 antibody (A01021-1). IRAK1 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human Ovarian cancer tissues. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in citrate buffer (pH6, epitope retrieval solution) for 20 mins. The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1μg/ml rabbit anti-IRAK1 Antibody (A01021-1) 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-IRAK-1/IRAK1 Antibody ®
Cat # A01021-1
Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry of IRAK in rat liver tissue with IRAK antibody at 5 μg/mL.
Anti-IRAK IRAK1 Monoclonal Antibody [8F1A7]
Cat # M01021-1
Real IF data IF analysis of IRAK1 using anti-IRAK1 antibody (A01021). IRAK1 was detected in immunocytochemical section of A549 cells. Enzyme antigen retrieval was performed using IHC enzyme antigen retrieval reagent (AR0022) for 15 mins. The cells were blocked with 10% goat serum. And then incubated with 2μg/mL rabbit anti-IRAK1 Antibody (A01021) overnight at 4°C. DyLight®488 Conjugated Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (BA1127) was used as secondary antibody at 1:100 dilution and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The section was counterstained with DAPI. Visualize using a fluorescence microscope and filter sets appropriate for the label used.
Anti-IRAK/IRAK1 Antibody ®
Cat # A01021
Real IF data Immunofluorescence Validation of IRAK in Human HeLa Cells Immunofluorescent analysis of 4% paraformaldehyde-fixed HeLa Cells labeling IRAK with A01021-2 at 20 μg/mL, followed by goat anti-rabbit IgG secondary antibody at 1/500 dilution (red).
Anti-IRAK IRAK1 Antibody
Cat # A01021-2

A01021-1 has human ovarian cancer paraffin-section IHC data (catalog image caption: A01021-1), and M01021-1 has rat liver IHC data (catalog image caption: M01021-1). A01021 has A549 cell IF data (catalog image caption: A01021), and A01021-2 has HeLa cell IF data (catalog image caption: A01021-2).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A01021-1 for human ovarian cancer paraffin sections with citrate retrieval at pH 6, or monoclonal M01021-1 for rat liver at 5 μg/mL; neither IHC caption reports the fixative (catalog image captions: A01021-1, M01021-1; catalog: M01021-1 clone 8F1A7). For IF/ICC, choose A01021 for A549 cells or A01021-2 for 4% paraformaldehyde-fixed HeLa cells (catalog image captions: A01021, A01021-2; catalog applications: IF, ICC). For work across species, A01021-1 lists human, mouse and rat reactivity and both IHC and IF applications, while its IHC image documents human tissue only (catalog: A01021-1 applications and reactivity; catalog image caption: A01021-1).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P51617 (IRAK1_HUMAN, Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. IRAK1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. IRAK1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the cytosol. In addition localized to the nucleoplasm..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. IRAK1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. RNA-Sequencing Based microRNA Expression Signature of Colorectal Cancer: The Impact of Oncogenic Targets Regulated by miR-490-3p. International journal of molecular sciences 2021 — PMC8469425.
  6. Diagnostic and prognostic roles of IRAK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues: an analysis of immunohistochemistry and RNA-sequencing data from the cancer genome atlas. OncoTargets and therapy 2017 — PMC5367901.
  7. Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-1 is a therapeutic target for gastric cancer. Discover oncology 2025 — PMC12521082.
  8. The role of IRAK1 in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. OncoTargets and therapy 2019 — PMC6438138.
  9. PubMed PMID:8599092 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:10723722 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:11397809 — UniProt-cited evidence.