KIRREL2 / Kin of IRRE-like protein 2 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for KIRREL2

Use exocrine pancreatic cells as a positive control for paraffin-section KIRREL2 IHC (HPA tissue IHC), starting the catalog antibody at 5 μg/mL (datasheet: IHC-P). Compare the observed cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC) with the annotated cell-contact membrane location (UniProt).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for KIRREL2 (IHC for KIRREL2): expected localisation Cytoplasmic in exocrine pancreas (HPA tissue IHC); cell-contact membrane annotated (UniProt), antibody A07812, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable KIRREL2 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic in exocrine pancreas (HPA tissue IHC); cell-contact membrane annotated (UniProt), antibody A07812, controls and protocol steps. Open the full KIRREL2 IHC guide →

KIRREL2 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 in exocrine pancreas (HPA tissue IHC); cell-contact membrane annotated (UniProt)
Staining pattern Exocrine pancreatic cells show cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen)
Positive control ⓘ Pancreas
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); Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image A07812)
Caveat Tissue localization conflicts with limited external data (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Pancreas-enriched RNA expression (HPA tissue RNA)
Isoform / epitope 4 isoforms; map epitopes to extracellular or cytoplasmic regions (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended KIRREL2 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is accompanied by one published KIRREL2 protocol using FFPE tissue sections (PMC9288368: methods).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleTissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A07812); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-KIRREL2, 5 μg/mL (datasheet A07812)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (standard)
DetectionHRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultKIRREL2-positive staining in exocrine glandular cells of pancreas (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in exocrine pancreas. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with citrate pH 6.0 HIER at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page antigen retrieval); the published protocol uses CC1 retrieval (PMC9288368: methods).
Section 2

What Is the Expected KIRREL2 Staining Pattern?

For paraffin IHC, expect strong cytoplasmic staining in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells (HPA: High in exocrine pancreas; IHC reliability Enhanced). Interpret compartment carefully: UniProt places KIRREL2 at cell contacts on the membrane and reports high expression in islet beta cells (UniProt Q6UWL6 localization and tissue specificity). HPA reports medium staining–RNA consistency and limited external data that contradict its protein localization (HPA reliability description).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Strong cytoplasmic staining in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells, with readable tissue structure.This matches the documented tissue IHC pattern (HPA: High in exocrine glandular cells). Record whether staining is broadly cytoplasmic or concentrated at cell borders: UniProt places KIRREL2 along cell contacts, but HPA's IHC image summary describes cytoplasmic expression (UniProt Q6UWL6 localization; HPA tissue IHC profile). The compartment discrepancy limits a definitive localization call.
Predominantly nuclear staining, or staining in a compartment unsupported by either source.Treat this as a possible staining artefact and inspect the controls before calling it KIRREL2 (general IHC practice). UniProt reports a membrane protein at cell contacts, whereas HPA describes cytoplasmic exocrine staining; neither supports a predominantly nuclear pattern (UniProt Q6UWL6 topology and localization; HPA tissue IHC profile).
Strong staining in cells scored as not detected, with little or no staining in pancreatic exocrine cells.Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic detection activity, then check matched controls (general IHC practice). HPA scores adipocytes in adipose tissue and adrenal glandular cells as Not detected, while pancreatic exocrine glandular cells are High (HPA tissue IHC). A positive result in one unexpected cell type alone does not establish KIRREL2 expression.
Diffuse colour across cells and surrounding tissue, obscuring cell boundaries.Interpret the field as background until detection and washing controls are satisfactory (general IHC practice). Diffuse staining cannot reliably establish the cell-specific exocrine pattern reported by HPA or resolve its disagreement with UniProt localization (HPA tissue IHC profile; UniProt Q6UWL6 localization). Score only staining distinguishable from the local background.
No interpretable signal in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells.A negative result in the strongest supplied IHC reference tissue calls for a run and reagent check before biological interpretation (HPA: High in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells; general IHC practice). Check tissue integrity, retrieval, primary antibody, detection, and counterstain using the chosen assay's instructions (general IHC practice). This result alone cannot establish target absence.
💡Expected KIRREL2 appearanceA convincing positive is strong, cell-resolved cytoplasmic staining in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells (HPA: High; cytoplasmic profile), assessed with awareness of UniProt's cell-contact membrane localization and beta-cell expression (UniProt Q6UWL6); predominant nuclear colour or equally strong staining in HPA Not detected cells is suspect (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Tissue and compartment agreementHPA identifies exocrine cytoplasmic staining, while UniProt identifies beta-cell enrichment and cell-contact membrane localization (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q6UWL6). Document which pattern the slide shows. HPA's reliability note reports medium staining–RNA consistency and contradictory limited external localization data (HPA reliability description), so avoid declaring either compartment settled by this record.
Antibody validationHPA071587 has Enhanced IHC validation; HPA074326 has no IHC status listed, though both have Approved ICC status (HPA antibodies). Enhanced denotes a pattern reproduced by independent antibodies or orthogonal data (HPA validation summary). Record the antibody identifier when comparing slides, because validation status is antibody specific (HPA antibodies).
Epitope location and retrievalKIRREL2 has an extracellular region at residues 21–510, a transmembrane segment at 511–531, and a cytoplasmic region at 532–708 (UniProt Q6UWL6 topology). These boundaries help interpret an epitope if the antibody's immunogen is known; the supplied record does not locate that immunogen or establish a KIRREL2-specific retrieval condition (UniProt Q6UWL6 topology; supplied HPA antibody data).
Alternative forms and processingUniProt lists four isoforms, a signal peptide at residues 1–20, and a mature chain at 21–708 (UniProt Q6UWL6). Antibodies directed at different sequences may therefore need separate interpretation (general antibody practice), but the supplied record does not identify an antibody epitope or show isoform-specific IHC staining (supplied HPA antibody data).
IF/ICC Q&AWhat should an IF/ICC image show? HPA reports mainly centriolar satellite localization in REH and U2OS images, with both listed antibodies Approved for ICC (HPA subcellular; HPA antibodies). That observation belongs to cell-based IF interpretation; it does not establish a paraffin IHC compartment or replace the tissue pattern above (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Pancreatic exocrine cells show no signal.The positive tissue result has not been reproduced; the cause is unresolved (HPA: High in exocrine glandular cells).Confirm the tissue and cell identification, then review retrieval, primary antibody, detection reagents, and a concurrent positive control under the chosen IHC procedure (general IHC practice). Do not infer a target-specific fixation effect: none is documented here (supplied HPA and UniProt records).
Signal appears mainly nuclear.This compartment conflicts with both reported patterns (HPA: cytoplasmic exocrine profile; UniProt Q6UWL6: membrane at cell contacts).Inspect a primary-antibody omission control and compare nuclear colour with background in adjacent cells (general IHC practice). Reassess tissue morphology and antibody specificity before assigning a KIRREL2 score (general IHC practice).
HPA Not detected cells stain as strongly as pancreas.Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible (general IHC practice); HPA reports Not detected staining in adipose adipocytes and adrenal glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC).Compare a matched primary-antibody omission control, check the detection system's endogenous-activity control, and repeat with an independently validated IHC antibody if available (general IHC practice; HPA: HPA071587 Enhanced IHC).
Colour is diffuse and masks cell boundaries.Background or overdeveloped chromogen may prevent cell-level interpretation (general IHC practice).Check wash steps, detection development, counterstain balance, and the omission control under the chosen procedure (general IHC practice). Score only cell-associated signal that remains distinguishable from nearby background (general IHC practice).
Exocrine cytoplasm stains, but cell borders do not stand out.The sources disagree on compartment: HPA reports cytoplasmic IHC, while UniProt reports localization along cell contacts (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q6UWL6 localization).Report the observed cytoplasmic pattern and antibody identifier without calling absent border accentuation a failed assay (HPA tissue IHC; HPA antibodies). Use morphology and appropriate controls for the interpretation (general IHC practice).
An ICC/IF image appears punctate near the centrosomal region.HPA reports mainly centriolar satellite localization in its cell-based images (HPA subcellular).Interpret the image on the separate IF/ICC guide page and identify the cell line and antibody used (HPA subcellular; HPA antibodies). Keep its compartment call separate from the exocrine paraffin IHC readout (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC).

Sample controls for KIRREL2 IHC & IF

🧪Run pancreas first and expect staining in exocrine glandular cells (HPA: High in pancreas exocrine glandular cells). Run adipose tissue as a negative control (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the pancreas slide, use morphologically identified cells without specific staining as internal negative comparators, but do not assume islet beta cells are negative (UniProt Q6UWL6: high expression in pancreatic beta cells).
Positive control tissue: Pancreas (Exocrine glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show KIRREL2 in REH, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Centriolar satellite (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and host- and clonality-matched isotype controls, plus KIRREL2-knockout tissue as a biological negative if available (standard IHC practice). In pancreas, check background from endogenous peroxidase and, if using avidin–biotin detection, endogenous biotin (standard chromogenic IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported, and the 5 µg/ml pancreas IHC caption does not state a fixative (selected A07812 caption). Antigen-retrieval dependence is unreported; optimize retrieval empirically for paraffin sections (standard IHC practice). The evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier; interpret IF localisation cautiously because ICC-IF reports centriolar satellites while UniProt reports membrane localisation at cell contacts (HPA subcellular; UniProt Q6UWL6 subcellular).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for KIRREL2

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Protein localization is contradicted by limited external 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
Pancreas Exocrine glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Adrenal gland Glandular cells 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 →
Section 3

Advanced KIRREL2 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot KIRREL2 staining by comparing signal intensity, cell type and subcellular pattern with the available tissue evidence.

What retrieval should I try first for KIRREL2 in paraffin sections?
Start with citrate buffer at pH 6.0, heated to 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). Let sections cool in the buffer, then compare retrieved and unretrieved sections with matched detection conditions (standard IHC practice). If staining is weak, adjust heating time in a small series before trying another buffer or pH; excessive retrieval can damage tissue and raise background (standard IHC practice). Score membrane-associated cell contacts separately from diffuse cytoplasm because KIRREL2 is reported at cell contacts, while tissue IHC reports cytoplasmic exocrine staining (UniProt Q6UWL6 localisation; HPA tissue IHC). Keep the antibody concentration constant across this comparison; the selected pancreas image used 5 µg/ml (A07812 tissue-IHC caption).
Could fixation explain weak or diffuse KIRREL2 staining?
KIRREL2-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected pancreas caption gives 5 µg/ml antibody but no fixative (A07812 tissue-IHC caption). Record the actual fixative and time for each block, and compare sections processed under consistent conditions (standard IHC practice). For newly prepared material, 10% neutral buffered formalin and prompt, consistent processing provide a conventional IHC starting point, without establishing an optimum for KIRREL2 (standard IHC practice). If a suspected fixation effect persists, compare blocks while holding retrieval, antibody concentration and detection constant (standard IHC practice). Do not attribute an observed pattern to fixation without that controlled comparison (standard IHC practice).
Should KIRREL2 stain cell contacts or the cytoplasm?
Examine cell contacts and cytoplasm separately: KIRREL2 is described at the cell membrane along contacts and colocalizes with E-cadherin and beta-catenin (UniProt Q6UWL6 localisation). Its extracellular region spans residues 21–510, followed by a transmembrane segment at 511–531 (UniProt Q6UWL6 topology). The HPA tissue profile instead reports cytoplasmic staining in exocrine pancreas, with High staining in exocrine glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC). HPA subcellular imaging reports a supported centriolar-satellite location, adding another pattern to assess (HPA subcellular). Compare staining with tissue architecture and a matched control before assigning a diffuse cytoplasmic signal to membrane-localized KIRREL2 (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q6UWL6 localisation).
How can epitope position change what KIRREL2 IHC detects?
KIRREL2 has 4 listed isoforms, but the supplied antibody evidence does not locate the recognized epitope or establish isoform coverage (UniProt Q6UWL6 isoforms; A07812 tissue-IHC caption). Map any subsequently verified immunogen sequence against each isoform before interpreting absent staining as absent protein (standard IHC practice). An extracellular epitope would fall within residues 21–510, whereas a cytoplasmic epitope would lie within 532–708 (UniProt Q6UWL6 topology). Glycosylation sites at 143, 301 and 484 and reported cytoplasmic phosphorylation sites make epitope context relevant, but their effect on this antibody is unknown (UniProt Q6UWL6 modifications; A07812 tissue-IHC caption). Validate any isoform claim with epitope information and an independent assay (standard IHC practice).
How should I assess KIRREL2 in a multiplex IF experiment?
For a separate IF assay, pair KIRREL2 with insulin to identify pancreatic beta cells and consider amylase to distinguish exocrine cells (UniProt Q6UWL6 tissue specificity; HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Place the weaker signal in a far-red channel and inspect unstained tissue in every channel, because pancreatic tissue autofluorescence can obscure specific fluorescence (standard IF practice). If the verified antibody epitope is extracellular, first assess staining without detergent; a cytoplasmic epitope requires permeabilisation after fixation (UniProt Q6UWL6 topology; standard IF practice). Acquire single-stain controls and check channel bleed-through before calling overlap at cell contacts (standard IF practice; UniProt Q6UWL6 localisation). The supplied IHC caption does not validate this antibody for IF (A07812 tissue-IHC caption).
How do I separate KIRREL2 staining from chromogenic background?
Run a no-primary control through the same chromogenic detection steps and inspect it for endogenous enzyme signal or nonspecific reagent binding (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase before peroxidase-based DAB detection, and keep blocking, washes and development time consistent across sections (standard IHC practice). Test antibody concentration around the image condition of 5 µg/ml only as a controlled titration, not as an established optimum for every block (A07812 tissue-IHC caption; standard IHC practice). Compare staining in pancreatic exocrine cells with an HPA-listed tissue reported as not detected, such as adipose tissue adipocytes (HPA tissue IHC). Diffuse deposit shared by the no-primary control indicates detection background rather than convincing KIRREL2 signal (standard IHC practice).
What should I score when quantifying KIRREL2 IHC? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define regions and cell classes before scoring, separating pancreatic exocrine glandular cells from islet cells because their reported evidence differs (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q6UWL6 tissue specificity). For each class, record the percentage of positive cells and an intensity category, then calculate an H-score as the sum of percentage times intensity from 0–3 (standard IHC practice). Record membranous cell-contact staining and cytoplasmic staining as separate variables, given the differing localisation reports (UniProt Q6UWL6 localisation; HPA tissue IHC). Normalize positive-cell counts to the number of evaluable cells, or stained area to evaluable tissue area in mm² (standard IHC practice). Exclude folds, detached edges and necrotic regions using the same rules for every section (standard IHC practice).
When is a positive KIRREL2 stain convincing?
Interpret a positive cell only after checking its identity and compartment: UniProt reports KIRREL2 enriched in pancreatic beta cells at cell contacts, while HPA tissue IHC reports high cytoplasmic signal in exocrine glandular cells (UniProt Q6UWL6 tissue specificity and localisation; HPA tissue IHC). This disagreement means either pattern needs independent corroboration before a cell-type or localisation claim (HPA reliability description; standard IHC practice). Signal confined to cut edges, folds or necrotic areas, or reproduced in a no-primary control, is suspect (standard IHC practice). Check endogenous peroxidase with the appropriate control when using DAB (standard IHC practice). Document both the staining pattern and the control result rather than calling every brown cell KIRREL2-positive (standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best KIRREL2 / Kin of IRRE-like protein 2 IHC Antibodies

A07812 is listed for IHC-P and IF (catalog: applications), with images of human pancreas tissue for both methods (catalog: image captions). Its listed reactivity covers human, mouse, and rat (catalog: reactivity).

Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry of KIRREL2 in human pancreas tissue with KIRREL2 antibody at 5 μg/ml.
Anti-Kin of IRRE-like protein 2 KIRREL2 Antibody
Cat # A07812

A07812 will render with its own IHC image of human pancreas tissue at 5 μg/mL (catalog: A07812 IHC image caption). Its IF image also shows human pancreas tissue, at 20 μg/mL (catalog: A07812 IF image caption).

Which to pick: Choose A07812 for paraffin-section tissue IHC because IHC-P is listed (catalog: applications) and its own IHC image shows human pancreas tissue (catalog: A07812 IHC image caption); the fixative is unreported (catalog: A07812 IHC image caption). For IF, A07812 has a human pancreas image (catalog: A07812 IF image caption); ICC is not listed (catalog: applications). For cross-species experiments, A07812 lists human, mouse, and rat reactivity (catalog: reactivity), while its IHC and IF images show human tissue only (catalog: image captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q6UWL6 (KIRR2_HUMAN, Kin of IRRE-like protein 2).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. KIRREL2 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. KIRREL2 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the centriolar satellites..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. KIRREL2 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Gene expression profiling of Group 3 medulloblastomas defines a clinically tractable stratification based on KIRREL2 expression. Acta neuropathologica 2022 — PMC9288368.
  6. Candidate Biomarkers for Targeting in Type 1 Diabetes; A Bioinformatic Analysis of Pancreatic Cell Surface Antigens. Cell journal 2024 — PMC10864774.
  7. PubMed PMID:12837264 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  8. PubMed PMID:11230166 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  9. PubMed PMID:17974005 — UniProt-cited evidence.