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LRP1 / Prolow-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for LRP1
Plan LRP1 IHC in paraffin sections using the cytoplasmic tissue pattern reported in liver, brain, fibroblasts and stroma (HPA tissue IHC). Consider whether the antibody targets the extracellular or cytoplasmic region when interpreting staining, because LRP1 is cleaved into distinct chains (UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
LRP1 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 tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); membrane localisation expected (UniProt) | |
| Staining pattern | Cytoplasmic in liver, brain, fibroblasts and stroma (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen) | |
| Positive control | Lung+4 more · see all | |
| Negative control | Adrenal gland+4 more · see all |
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
| Fixation | Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image M00829) | |
| Caveat | Cleavage can separate extracellular and cytoplasmic epitopes (UniProt) | |
| Regulation | No expression regulator specified (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; epitope location across cleaved chains matters (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended LRP1 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s paraffin-section protocol (datasheet: IHC-P) is accompanied by a published chromogenic IHC protocol for rat corneal frozen sections (PMC5105079).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human liver carcinoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M00829) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M00829); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: nuclear antigen) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit monoclonal (clone BDC-12) anti-LRP1, 1:50 (datasheet M00829) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (standard) |
| Detection | HRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | LRP1-positive staining in macrophages of lung (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression mainly in liver, placenta, brain, adipose tissue and in fibroblasts. Also expressed in the tissue stroma. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteFor paraffin sections, start with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval rule).
Section 2
What Is the Expected LRP1 Staining Pattern?
LRP1 is a membrane receptor with an extracellular region and a short cytoplasmic tail (UniProt Q07954 topology). In tissue IHC, expect mainly cytoplasmic staining in liver, brain, adipose tissue, fibroblasts and stroma (HPA tissue IHC). Lung macrophages show High staining; hepatocytes, neuronal cells, adipocytes and some stromal cells show Medium staining (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates the tissue pattern Supported, with medium consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
| Clear staining in lung macrophages, with weaker staining in nearby cell types. | This fits the reported High macrophage signal (HPA tissue IHC). Assess the identified cells, rather than calling the whole lung uniformly positive; the HPA result describes a cell-specific pattern. |
| Predominantly cytoplasmic staining in hepatocytes, neuronal cells, adipocytes or stroma. | This agrees with the HPA tissue profile; these listed populations include Medium staining examples (HPA tissue IHC). Membrane-associated signal can also fit LRP1 topology (UniProt Q07954 topology). Interpret intensity within each cell population and tissue. |
| Nuclear-only staining dominates a paraffin section, without the expected cellular pattern. | Treat this as unconfirmed for tissue IHC. UniProt reports that the cleaved intracellular domain can reach the nucleus (UniProt Q07954 processing), and HPA reports nucleoli in ICC-IF (HPA subcellular). Neither establishes nuclear-only staining as the expected tissue IHC pattern. |
| Strong signal appears in cells listed as undetected, such as adrenal glandular or esophageal squamous cells. | This conflicts with the reported observations for those specific cells (HPA tissue IHC). Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity, then compare cell identity, controls and the expected positive population before assigning LRP1 positivity. |
| Diffuse color covers cells and surrounding areas, or a known-positive population has no signal. | Diffuse color obscures the cellular distribution needed for interpretation (general IHC practice). An absent signal in lung macrophages conflicts with their High HPA staining (HPA tissue IHC); review the staining run and tissue quality before concluding that LRP1 is absent. |
💡Expected LRP1 appearanceCall a result positive when identifiable lung macrophages show strong cellular staining or listed hepatocyte, neuronal, adipocyte or stromal populations show moderate, mainly cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC); broad diffuse color or strong staining confined to an HPA-undetected cell population warrants investigation.
| How much should intensity vary by cell type? | HPA reports High lung macrophages, Medium hepatocytes, neuronal cells, adipocytes and selected stromal cells, plus undetected cells in specified tissues (HPA tissue IHC). Score the named population, not every cell on the section. |
| Where is the antibody epitope relative to processing? | LRP1 has a large extracellular region, one transmembrane segment and a cytoplasmic tail (UniProt Q07954 topology). Its extracellular and membrane-bound subunits arise through processing (UniProt Q07954 processing). An unspecified epitope cannot justify assigning a particular staining compartment to one chain. |
| What does the available antibody validation establish? | Three listed antibodies have Supported IHC status (HPA antibodies). That status supports use of their observed tissue patterns, while the overall tissue reliability remains Supported with medium staining–RNA consistency (HPA tissue IHC). It does not make every stained cell specific. |
| What should IF/ICC show? | HPA reports a mainly plasma-membrane location, with additional nucleolar and cytosolic signal in ICC-IF (HPA subcellular). This is a useful localisation comparison, but ICC-IF observations do not set the expected compartment or intensity for paraffin tissue IHC. |
| Can antigen retrieval or fixation explain a discrepancy? | Retrieval conditions can affect staining in paraffin IHC (general IHC practice). The supplied HPA and UniProt evidence reports no LRP1-specific fixation sensitivity or retrieval setting; use the validated IHC conditions as the starting point and interpret changes against controls. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Lung macrophages show no staining. | A failed staining run, unsuitable tissue or a missed cell population can mimic absence (general IHC practice); HPA reports High macrophage staining (HPA tissue IHC). | Confirm macrophage identification, inspect tissue preservation and run controls, then check the IHC-validated antibody's specified staining conditions (general IHC practice). |
| Color spreads evenly across the section. | Diffuse background can arise from incomplete blocking, excess antibody or detection background (general IHC practice); it prevents reading the cell-specific HPA pattern (HPA tissue IHC). | Review blocking, wash and detection controls; adjust antibody concentration using its validated IHC guidance (general IHC practice). Reassess identifiable cells after background falls. |
| Adrenal glandular or esophageal squamous cells stain strongly. | Those cells are listed as Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible (general IHC practice). | Check the cell identity and detection-only control, then compare with a positive HPA-listed population in the same staining run (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| Staining is exclusively nuclear in tissue IHC. | The intracellular domain can enter the nucleus (UniProt Q07954 processing), but nuclear-only tissue staining is not established by the HPA tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). | Check the antibody epitope and staining controls; report nuclear localisation as uncertain unless the reagent and an independent assessment support it (general IHC practice). |
| A weak adipocyte or neuronal signal is called negative. | HPA reports Medium staining in adipose adipocytes and neuronal cells in caudate, cortex and hippocampus (HPA tissue IHC); visibility can differ from the High lung macrophage example. | Score the specified cells against matched controls and section background, using the HPA level for that population rather than one universal intensity threshold (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| Membrane-heavy IF/ICC images seem inconsistent with cytoplasmic tissue IHC. | HPA describes mainly plasma-membrane ICC-IF localisation (HPA subcellular) and mainly cytoplasmic tissue IHC expression (HPA tissue IHC); these are different application observations. | Interpret each image against its own application evidence. For paraffin IHC, prioritize the identified tissue cell pattern and verify an unusual compartment with antibody and detection controls (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing LRP1 staining
M00829 · IHCImmunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human liver carcinoma, using LRP1 Antibody.
M00829 · IHCImmunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded Human pituitary tumor, using the Antibody at 1:300 dilution.
M00829 · IFImmunofluorescent analysis using the Antibody at 1:50 dilution.
M00829-1 · IHCMouse colon was stained with anti-LRP1 rabbit antibody
M00829-1 · IHCRat colon was stained with anti-LRP1 rabbit antibody
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000123384-LRP1/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_4810060
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000123384-LRP1/tissue/colon#imid_4809986
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000123384-LRP1/tissue/liver#imid_4809987
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000123384-LRP1/tissue/kidney#imid_4809988
HPA · ICC-IF ASC52teloHuman Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, ASC52telo, antibody HPA022903; green = LRP1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF ASC52teloHuman Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, ASC52telo, antibody HPA022903; green = LRP1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for LRP1 IHC & IF
🧪Run lung first and confirm staining in macrophages (High; HPA: lung macrophages). Use adrenal gland glandular cells as a negative tissue (Not detected; HPA: adrenal gland glandular cells); compare nonmacrophage cells on the lung slide as internal background controls without assuming they are LRP1-negative (HPA: lung macrophages High).
Positive control tissue: Lung (Macrophages, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adrenal gland (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show LRP1 in ASC52telo, Rh30, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Plasma membrane (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and host-matched isotype controls, plus an LRP1 knockout specimen if available; a peptide block is an alternative when the immunizing peptide is available (standard IHC practice). For lung macrophages, block endogenous peroxidase and assess pigment-related background before interpreting chromogenic signal (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported in the supplied evidence, and the selected M00829 paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (caption: fixative not stated). Retrieval dependence is also unreported; optimize antigen retrieval for the IHC-validated antibody on paraffin sections (standard IHC practice). The evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier for LRP1; lung macrophage pigment may complicate chromogenic scoring (standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for LRP1
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
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lung | Macrophages | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Caudate | Neuronal cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebral cortex | Neuronal cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Endometrium | Cells in endometrial stroma | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrenal gland | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Appendix | Endocrine cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cervix | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Duodenum | Endocrine cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced LRP1 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot LRP1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell compartment, controls and scoring before interpreting changes in signal.
How should I adjust retrieval if LRP1 staining is weak or uneven?
Start with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 heat retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). If signal is weak, compare adjacent sections with a shorter exposure to the same buffer before changing conditions, keeping the antibody and detection steps constant (standard IHC practice). Include a section with liver hepatocytes as a tissue reference, while judging its staining against local morphology because HPA reports medium hepatocyte staining and only supported overall tissue reliability (HPA: liver hepatocytes, Medium; tissue reliability, Supported). Record retrieval conditions and assess whether stronger staining also raises background in the same cell compartments (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain loss of LRP1 staining in my paraffin sections?
Target-specific sensitivity of LRP1 to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence (selected M00829 caption: fixative not stated). The catalog image shows paraffin-embedded human liver carcinoma, but its caption gives no fixative, so that image cannot establish a fixation condition (selected M00829 tissue-IHC caption). Compare sections with documented processing histories and keep section thickness, retrieval, antibody incubation and chromogenic development consistent (standard IHC practice). Check nuclear detail and tissue preservation alongside LRP1 signal; poor morphology or staining confined to section edges can indicate processing artefact (standard IHC practice). Avoid assigning a specific fixation mechanism without a controlled comparison (standard IHC practice).
Should LRP1 appear at the membrane or in the cytoplasm?
Assess membrane and cytoplasmic staining separately: LRP1 is mainly at the plasma membrane in subcellular imaging, while tissue IHC describes chiefly cytoplasmic expression (HPA: subcellular summary; tissue IHC profile). Coated-pit and cytoplasmic locations also appear in the protein record, consistent with its endocytic role (UniProt Q07954: subcellular location and function). Compare hepatocytes, stromal cells and macrophages only where those cells are identifiable; HPA reports medium hepatocyte staining, stromal expression and high lung macrophage staining (HPA: tissue IHC profile and positive cells). Focal nuclear signal needs separate scrutiny because the cleaved intracellular domain can enter the nucleus (UniProt Q07954: processing and subcellular location).
How does an antibody’s epitope change the LRP1 pattern I should expect?
Check the antibody’s documented epitope before interpreting compartment differences; this payload does not map M00829 to an LRP1 region (selected M00829 tissue-IHC caption). LRP1 has an extracellular region at residues 20–4419, a transmembrane segment at 4420–4444 and a cytoplasmic region at 4445–4544 (UniProt Q07954: topology). Processing yields an N-terminal extracellular subunit and a membrane-bound carboxyl subunit; the intracellular domain can also be detected in cytoplasm and nucleus (UniProt Q07954: processing, subunit and subcellular location). Two isoforms are listed, so do not attribute different staining patterns to an isoform without epitope mapping and isoform-specific evidence (UniProt Q07954: isoforms; standard IHC interpretation).
How can IF help resolve ambiguous LRP1 localisation in tissue?
Pair LRP1 with a marker for the cell population under study, then inspect each channel and the merged image before calling colocalisation (standard IF practice). Lung macrophages are a useful expected population when present, because HPA reports high LRP1 staining in those cells (HPA: lung macrophages, High). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores after checking tissue autofluorescence with an unstained section and single-channel controls (standard IF practice). Set permeabilisation according to the mapped epitope: access to the cytoplasmic tail requires permeabilisation, whereas an exposed extracellular epitope may be tested without it (UniProt Q07954: topology; standard IF practice). Interpret nuclear signal cautiously because the cleaved intracellular domain can localise there (UniProt Q07954: processing and subcellular location).
What should I check when brown signal spreads beyond LRP1-positive cells?
Compare the stained section with a no-primary control and inspect pigment, necrosis and tissue edges before calling diffuse brown signal specific (standard chromogenic IHC practice). Apply a peroxidase block when using peroxidase-based detection, then check whether residual signal persists in the control (standard chromogenic IHC practice). Reduce primary-antibody exposure or chromogen development one variable at a time if background obscures cell boundaries (standard IHC practice). Do not classify all stromal or macrophage staining as background: HPA reports stromal expression and high staining in lung macrophages (HPA: tissue IHC profile; lung macrophages, High). Judge each compartment against local morphology and the control section (standard IHC practice).
How should I score LRP1 staining across sections with different cell composition? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, because HPA reports LRP1 in hepatocytes, macrophages, adipocytes and tissue stroma (HPA: tissue IHC profile and positive cells). For a defined population, report the percentage of positive cells and, when intensity is reproducible, an H-score using 0–3 intensity categories (standard IHC scoring practice). For spatial analyses, report positive-cell density per mm² of viable tissue or a defined region (standard histology quantification practice). Normalise each comparison to the number or area of eligible cells, not the whole section when cell composition differs (standard histology quantification practice). Keep retrieval, imaging and scoring thresholds consistent across the comparison (standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish real LRP1 staining from a chromogenic artefact?
Look for signal in intact, identifiable cells and assess its compartment before treating a brown deposit as LRP1 (standard IHC interpretation). Membrane or cytoplasmic staining is plausible, while isolated nuclear staining needs epitope-aware confirmation because the cleaved intracellular domain can reach the nucleus (HPA: subcellular summary and tissue IHC profile; UniProt Q07954: processing). Check whether the labelled cell population fits the sample: HPA reports high lung macrophage staining and medium hepatocyte staining (HPA: lung macrophages, High; liver hepatocytes, Medium). Treat deposits concentrated at edges or necrotic areas cautiously, and use a no-primary control to assess endogenous enzyme signal (standard chromogenic IHC practice).
Boster reagents
Best LRP1 / Prolow-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 IHC Antibodies
Two anti-LRP1 rabbit monoclonal antibodies cover human, mouse and rat samples (catalog: host, clonality, reactivity). Both have IHC images; M00829 also has an IF image (catalog: image captions).
Real IHC data
Anti-LRP1/Lrp 1 Cluster Ii Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M00829
Real IHC data
Anti-LRP1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M00829-1
M00829 lists IHC and IF/ICC applications and shows IHC staining of paraffin-embedded human liver carcinoma (M00829 catalog: applications, IHC caption). M00829-1 lists IHC and IF applications and shows IHC staining of mouse and rat colon and human liver (M00829-1 catalog: applications, IHC captions).
Which to pick: For tissue IHC in paraffin sections, choose M00829 when its human liver carcinoma example fits your sample; the caption does not report the fixative (M00829 IHC caption). For IF/ICC, choose M00829 because it lists both applications and has an IF image (M00829 catalog: applications, IF caption). For IHC across species, M00829-1 has mouse and rat colon and human liver examples, though their processing and fixatives are unreported (M00829-1 IHC captions); both rabbit monoclonals list human, mouse and rat reactivity (catalog: host, clonality, reactivity).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q07954 (LRP1_HUMAN, Prolow-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1).
- Human Protein Atlas. LRP1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
- Human Protein Atlas. LRP1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the plasma membrane. In addition localized to the nucleoli and cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. LRP1 antibody validation summary (3 antibodies).
- LRP1 expression in colon cancer predicts clinical outcome. Oncotarget 2018 — PMC5823651.
- LDL receptor related protein 1 is an adverse prognostic biomarker that correlates with stromal remodeling and macrophages infiltration in bladder cancer. Frontiers in immunology 2023 — PMC10157184.
- Conditional Deletion of LRP1 Leads to Progressive Loss of Recombined NG2-Expressing Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells in a Novel Mouse Model. Cells 2019 — PMC6953036.
- Selenium-binding lactoferrin is taken into corneal epithelial cells by a receptor and prevents corneal damage in dry eye model animals. Scientific reports 2016 — PMC5105079.
- PubMed PMID:3266596 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:7534747 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:9782078 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for LRP1 (Prolow-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); membrane localisation expected (UniProt). Antigen retrieval: Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen). Validated IHC antibody: M00829 at 1:50 (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Lung (Macrophages); negative Adrenal gland. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human liver carcinoma tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M00829); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M00829); 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-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0 , 20 min at 95–98 °C…; 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min , room temperature (standard); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit monoclonal (clone BDC-12) anti-LRP1, 1:50 (datasheet M00829); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (standard). Watch for: Fixation: Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image M00829); Caveat: Cleavage can separate extracellular and cytoplasmic epitopes (UniProt); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; epitope location across cleaved chains matters (UniProt); Regulation: No expression regulator specified (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q07954, HPA tissue IHC · Supported, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the plasma membrane. In addition localized to…, Datasheet M00829, PMC5105079. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/LRP1/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.