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LPP / Lipoma-preferred partner · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for LPP
Plan chromogenic IHC for LPP in paraffin sections, where cytoplasmic staining is most abundant in smooth muscle cells (HPA tissue IHC). This guide covers fixation consistency, a starting antibody concentration of 0.5–1 µg/mL (datasheet A01240-2), and interpretation by cell type.
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
LPP 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 observed in tissue (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Cytoplasmic, most abundant in smooth muscle cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01240-2) | |
| Positive control | Kidney+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 conditions consistent across sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Smooth muscle signal may dominate mixed tissue (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Staining intensity varies by cell type (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Isoform / epitope | No listed isoforms; one chain with no TM segment (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended LPP IHC & IF Protocols
Compare the catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet A01240-2) with a published Paget disease tissue microarray protocol (PMC7748372).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human lung cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01240-2) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01240-2); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A01240-2); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A01240-2) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-LPP, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet A01240-2) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01240-2) |
| Detection | Streptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A01240-2) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | LPP-positive staining in cells in glomeruli of kidney (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in several cell types, most abundant in smooth muscle cells. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (datasheet A01240-2); the published protocol does not specify retrieval conditions (PMC7748372).
Section 2
What Is the Expected LPP Staining Pattern?
LPP is found in cytoplasm, nucleus and at cell adhesion sites; it has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q93052). In paraffin IHC, expect chiefly cytoplasmic staining, strongest in smooth muscle cells, with high staining also reported in kidney glomerular cells and the skin granular layer (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates its tissue IHC reliability Enhanced, while describing only medium consistency with RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
| Strong cytoplasmic staining in smooth muscle cells, with high staining in glomerular cells or the skin granular layer (HPA tissue IHC). | This matches the reported tissue pattern. Assess the named cells within each section: HPA reports staining by cell type, so an entire tissue need not stain uniformly (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Staining appears near cell contacts or adhesion sites; some nuclear staining is also visible (UniProt Q93052; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). | LPP occurs at cell adhesion sites and shuttles between cytoplasm and nucleus (UniProt Q93052). Nuclear signal alone cannot establish an artifact; judge it against the cytoplasmic pattern and tissue controls (UniProt Q93052; general IHC practice). |
| Dominant signal occurs in an unexpected compartment without the expected cytoplasmic pattern (HPA tissue IHC). | Treat this as possible nonspecific staining or a detection artifact, while allowing for documented nuclear and junctional LPP localization (UniProt Q93052). Compare a known-positive section and a negative reagent control (general IHC practice). |
| Strong staining appears in adipocytes or bone-marrow hematopoietic cells, which HPA reports as not detected (HPA tissue IHC). | Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity before assigning it to LPP (general IHC practice). The HPA findings apply to those named cell types, not every cell in adipose tissue or bone marrow (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Diffuse color covers cells and extracellular areas, or known-positive smooth muscle cells show no signal (HPA tissue IHC). | A diffuse deposit has poor localization specificity; absent signal in a reported high-staining cell type makes the run difficult to interpret (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). Check controls before scoring the test section (general IHC practice). |
💡Expected LPP appearanceA convincing positive is predominantly cytoplasmic, relatively strong in smooth muscle cells, and cell-localized; widespread diffuse color or strong staining in HPA-negative cell types is suspect (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
| Which cells provide a positive reference? | Smooth muscle cells, kidney glomerular cells and skin granular-layer cells have High HPA staining; use the named cells when judging a control (HPA tissue IHC). |
| How should low or absent staining be read? | HPA reports Low staining in hippocampal neuronal cells and Not detected in adipocytes; these are cell-specific observations, not blanket tissue negatives (HPA tissue IHC). |
| What does antibody validation establish? | HPA011133 and HPA017342 each have Enhanced IHC validation; HPA still describes medium staining–RNA consistency. This does not validate an unspecified catalog antibody (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC). |
| Does LPP topology imply a surface-only stain? | No transmembrane segment is reported, and LPP occurs in cytoplasm, nucleus and adhesion sites. A continuous surface-only rim is not the expected dominant pattern (UniProt Q93052). |
| Is a target-specific retrieval or fixation effect known? | No LPP-specific fixation sensitivity or retrieval condition is supplied. Select and optimize retrieval against the antibody's IHC instructions and controls (supplied UniProt/HPA record; general IHC practice). |
| Q: What should IF/ICC show? | A: Mainly cytosol and focal adhesion sites, with additional plasma-membrane and cell-junction signal; these are ICC-IF observations, not an IHC protocol option (HPA subcellular ICC-IF). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No staining in a smooth-muscle positive control (HPA tissue IHC). | The run may have insufficient antibody binding or detection, or the selected section may lack identifiable smooth muscle (general IHC practice). | Confirm the cell type and control performance; check the antibody's IHC dilution, retrieval and detection instructions, then repeat with controlled adjustments (general IHC practice). |
| All sections show broad, diffuse chromogen (general IHC practice). | Nonspecific reagent binding, excess primary antibody or incomplete removal of unbound reagent can raise background (general IHC practice). | Review blocking, primary concentration and wash steps; compare a section processed without primary antibody before interpreting localization (general IHC practice). |
| Color appears in the no-primary control (general IHC practice). | Endogenous enzyme activity or another detection-system contribution can produce chromogen without primary antibody (general IHC practice). | Check endogenous-activity blocking and detection reagents according to the system instructions; resolve control staining before scoring LPP (general IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes or bone-marrow hematopoietic cells stain strongly (HPA tissue IHC). | Those named cells are reported Not detected, so cross-reactivity or detection background should be considered (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Compare positive and no-primary controls, check cell identity, and reassess antibody specificity before calling the signal LPP (general IHC practice). |
| Only nuclear staining is apparent in a positive-control section (UniProt Q93052; HPA tissue IHC). | Nuclear LPP is possible, but the absence of the reported cytoplasmic tissue pattern leaves this result uncertain (UniProt Q93052; HPA tissue IHC). | Check localization at higher magnification, compare another reported positive cell type, and review background controls before accepting the pattern (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| Signal differs between IHC and IF/ICC images (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). | The supplied HPA summaries describe tissue IHC and cultured-cell ICC-IF separately; they do not establish identical appearance across preparations (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). | Judge paraffin IHC against its tissue-cell controls; use the ICC-IF localization summary only as context for compartments (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing LPP staining
A01240-2 · IHCIHC analysis of LPP using anti-LPP antibody (A01240-2). LPP was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human lung cancer tissue. Heat medi
A01240-2 · IHCIHC analysis of LPP using anti-LPP antibody (A01240-2). LPP was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human mammary cancer tissue. Heat m
A01240-2 · IFIF analysis of LPP using anti-LPP antibody (A01240-2). LPP was detected in immunocytochemical section of A431 cells. Enzyme antigen retrieva
A01240-3 · IHCIHC analysis of LPP using anti LPP antibody (A01240-3). LPP was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human mammary cancer tissue. Heat m
A01240-3 · IHCIHC analysis of LPP using anti LPP antibody (A01240-3). LPP was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human rectal cancer tissue. Heat me
A01240-3 · IFIF analysis of LPP using anti-LPP antibody (A01240-3). LPP was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human intestinal cancer tissue. Heat
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000145012-LPP/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_4559584
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000145012-LPP/tissue/colon#imid_4559494
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000145012-LPP/tissue/liver#imid_4559511
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000145012-LPP/tissue/kidney#imid_4559504
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA011133; green = LPP, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA011133; green = LPP, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for LPP IHC & IF
🧪Run kidney first: cells in glomeruli should stain for LPP (HPA: High in kidney glomeruli). Use adipocytes as the negative tissue comparator (HPA: Not detected in adipose tissue adipocytes); on the kidney slide, cells without specific signal should show only counterstain or background, but no other kidney cell type is established as LPP negative by the supplied HPA row.
Positive control tissue: Kidney (Cells in glomeruli, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show LPP in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, RPTEC/TERT1, hTERT-RPE1 (serum starved), KOLF2.1J, with annotated localisation: Focal adhesion sites (approved), Cytosol (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a host- and clonality-matched rabbit IgG isotype control (catalog IHC caption: rabbit anti-LPP; standard IHC practice). Use an LPP knockout specimen or peptide competition with a validated immunogen as a biological specificity control (standard IHC practice), and block endogenous peroxidase and biotin when using the caption’s biotin-based DAB detection in kidney (catalog IHC caption: biotinylated secondary, SABC and DAB; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: The selected IHC-P caption demonstrates heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, followed by 1 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C (catalog IHC caption: A01240-2); it does not establish whether retrieval is required for every specimen. The caption does not report a fixative, and a target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported in the supplied evidence (catalog IHC caption: fixative not stated). The supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier; for kidney, endogenous biotin may complicate the caption’s SABC detection method (catalog IHC caption: SABC; standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for LPP
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.
Positive expression · recommended positive controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney | Cells in glomeruli | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Skin | Cells in granular layer | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Smooth muscle | Smooth muscle cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Appendix | Glandular cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Glandular cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Adrenal gland | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Endometrium | Cells in endometrial stroma | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Epididymis | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced LPP IHC Tips
Troubleshoot LPP staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell identity, compartment, and controls before interpreting signal (datasheet A01240-2; HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q93052).
Which retrieval conditions should I try when LPP staining is weak in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for this catalog antibody (datasheet A01240-2). The documented paraffin-section workflow then used 1 µg/mL primary antibody overnight at 4°C, so keep those conditions consistent while assessing retrieval (datasheet A01240-2). If staining remains weak, compare retrieval heating times on adjacent sections while holding detection and exposure to chromogen constant (standard IHC practice). Include a smooth muscle-rich region as a positive reference, and inspect whether stronger staining also raises nonspecific background or damages morphology (HPA: High in smooth muscle cells; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven LPP staining?
The selected paraffin-section caption does not report its fixative, and target-specific LPP sensitivity to fixation is unknown (datasheet A01240-2). Record each specimen’s fixative and fixation duration, then compare sections processed under matched conditions before assigning a signal difference to LPP abundance (standard IHC practice). Excessive fixation can mask epitopes in IHC generally, so assess morphology and retrieval response together rather than treating that possibility as an established LPP effect (standard IHC practice). Keep the documented EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and 1 µg/mL overnight primary incubation constant during that comparison (datasheet A01240-2).
Where should convincing LPP staining appear within cells?
Expect cytoplasmic staining, particularly near adhesion structures, because HPA reports mainly cytosolic and focal-adhesion localization with additional cell-junction and plasma-membrane signal (HPA subcellular). LPP can also shuttle into the nucleus, so nuclear staining is biologically possible but needs cell-specific and control-based assessment (UniProt Q93052 subcellular). Do not demand a continuous membrane rim: LPP has no transmembrane segment, and focal adhesions occupy discrete attachment sites (UniProt Q93052 topology; HPA subcellular). Compare each compartment against a negative-control section and adjacent morphology, especially where smooth muscle cells provide a strong tissue reference (standard IHC practice; HPA: High in smooth muscle cells).
How should epitope uncertainty affect interpretation of discordant LPP staining?
The supplied record lists 0 isoforms and places three LIM zinc-binding domains at residues 414–603, but the catalog antibody’s epitope is unspecified here (UniProt Q93052 domains and isoforms; datasheet A01240-2). LPP also has documented acetylation and phosphorylation sites, which do not establish whether this antibody recognizes a modified epitope (UniProt Q93052 modified residues; datasheet A01240-2). Avoid explaining discordant compartment staining as isoform-specific without independent evidence, and compare serial sections under identical retrieval and detection settings (UniProt Q93052 isoforms; standard IHC practice). If discrepancies persist, evaluate an independently validated epitope or an orthogonal assay while recording the compartment and cell type scored (standard IHC practice).
How can I check an LPP IHC pattern using multiplex immunofluorescence?
Pair LPP with a marker that identifies the cell population being evaluated, such as a validated smooth muscle marker when testing the HPA high-expression reference (HPA: High in smooth muscle cells; standard IF practice). Select spectrally separated fluorophores and assign the expected weaker channel away from the tissue’s strongest autofluorescence; inspect single-stain and unstained controls before calling colocalization (standard IF practice). LPP lacks a transmembrane segment and occurs in cytosol and focal adhesions, so permeabilize for intracellular epitope access while checking that adhesion-site morphology remains intact (UniProt Q93052 topology; HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Optimize fixation and permeabilization for the IF antibody independently because the supplied IHC caption reports neither an IF method nor a fixative (datasheet A01240-2).
How do I reduce diffuse brown staining without losing LPP signal?
First compare the stained section with a no-primary control to distinguish antibody-dependent signal from detection background (standard IHC practice). The documented method uses 10% goat serum, biotinylated goat anti-rabbit secondary antibody, a streptavidin–biotin complex, and DAB (datasheet A01240-2). Apply a peroxidase block as a general chromogenic IHC step, and assess endogenous biotin where the biotin-based system produces signal in the no-primary control (standard IHC practice; datasheet A01240-2). If background persists, titrate primary antibody around the documented 1 µg/mL condition and compare wash stringency on matched sections while retaining the EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval reference (datasheet A01240-2; standard IHC practice).
What should I score when comparing LPP across tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring because LPP staining can occur in cytosol, adhesion-associated regions, and nuclei (HPA subcellular; UniProt Q93052 subcellular). For chromogenic sections, report an H-score or percent positive cells within the same annotated cell type, with staining thresholds set from controls (standard IHC practice). Normalize counts to the number of eligible cells, or report positive-cell density per mm² of viable annotated tissue when cell counting is impractical (standard IHC practice). Keep section processing, retrieval, DAB development, and image settings matched; report smooth muscle separately from other cells because its LPP expression is high in HPA tissue IHC (standard IHC practice; HPA: High in smooth muscle cells).
When is an apparent LPP-positive area likely to be artefact?
A credible result fits the sampled cell identity and expected cytoplasmic or adhesion-associated distribution, while nuclear signal requires separate scrutiny because LPP can shuttle there (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular; UniProt Q93052 subcellular). Check whether staining is confined to section edges, folds, or necrotic areas before counting it as cellular LPP (standard IHC practice). Signal reproduced in a no-primary control suggests detection background, including endogenous peroxidase activity in a DAB workflow (standard IHC practice; datasheet A01240-2). Compare smooth muscle cells, reported high by HPA, with cells reported not detected, such as adipocytes, without assuming every individual specimen must match the atlas pattern (HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents
Best LPP / Lipoma-preferred partner IHC Antibodies
Anti-LPP IHC images cover paraffin sections of human cancer, mouse cardiac muscle, and rat intestine; IF images show A431 cells and human intestinal cancer sections (catalog image captions).
Real IHC data
Anti-Lipoma-preferred partner LPP Antibody ®
Cat # A01240-2
Real IHC data
Anti-LPP Antibody ®
Cat # A01240-3
A01240-2 has IHC images from paraffin sections of human lung, mammary, and rectal cancer and mouse cardiac muscle, plus an IF image of A431 cells (A01240-2 image captions). A01240-3 has IHC images from paraffin sections of human mammary and rectal cancer and rat intestine, plus an IF image from a human intestinal cancer section (A01240-3 image captions).
Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A01240-2 for the pictured human or mouse samples, or A01240-3 for the pictured human or rat samples (respective IHC image captions). For IF/ICC, A01240-2 lists both applications and shows A431-cell IF, while A01240-3 lists IF and shows IF in a human intestinal cancer section (catalog applications; respective IF image captions). A01240-3 lists the broader species reactivity, including monkey, but its IHC images cover only human and rat; clonality and the fixative used for the pictured paraffin sections are unreported for both SKUs (catalog reactivity and clone fields; respective IHC image captions).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q93052 (LPP_HUMAN, Lipoma-preferred partner).
- Human Protein Atlas. LPP tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. LPP subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the cytosol and focal adhesion sites. In addition localized to the plasma membrane and cell junctions..
- Human Protein Atlas. LPP antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Clinical, Histopathological Characteristics and Immunohistochemical Findings in Lichen Planus Pigmentosus. Indian journal of dermatology 2017 — PMC5724309.
- Expression of lipoma preferred partner in mammary and extramammary Paget disease. Medicine 2020 — PMC7748372.
- UBE2S interacting with TRIM21 mediates the K11-linked ubiquitination of LPP to promote the lymphatic metastasis of bladder cancer. Cell death & disease 2023 — PMC10329682.
- Association Between Periostin Expression and Disease Progression in Lichen Planopilaris: Insights Into Pathophysiology. Dermatology practical & conceptual 2025 — PMC12090922.
- PubMed PMID:8812423 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:12063392 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for LPP (Lipoma-preferred partner). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining observed in tissue (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01240-2). Validated IHC antibody: A01240-2 at 0.5-1μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Kidney (Cells in glomeruli); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human lung cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01240-2); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01240-2); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A01240-2); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A01240-2); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-LPP, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet A01240-2); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01240-2). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation conditions consistent across sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Smooth muscle signal may dominate mixed tissue (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: No listed isoforms; one chain with no TM segment (UniProt); Regulation: Staining intensity varies by cell type (HPA tissue IHC). Evidence: UniProt Q93052, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the cytosol and focal adhesion sites. In…, Datasheet A01240-2, PMC7748372. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/LPP/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.