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MALT1 / Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for MALT1
Use lymph node or tonsil germinal centers as high-staining controls (HPA tissue IHC), and start A01599 at 5 μg/mL (datasheet: A01599). Score cytoplasmic signal by cell type and intensity (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
MALT1 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 lymphoid tissue (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Germinal center cells show cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen) | |
| Positive control | Lymph node+4 more · see all | |
| Negative control | Adipose tissue+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 A01599) | |
| Caveat | Staining–RNA consistency is medium; verify specificity (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Lymphoid-enhanced RNA expression (HPA tissue RNA) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended MALT1 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody's IHC-P protocol is paired with published MALT1 protocols for cholangiocarcinoma (PMC5768338), paraffin-embedded tissue (PMC8924071), and primary prostate tumors (PMC7996004).
| Sample | Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01599); 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 anti-MALT1, 5 μg/mL (datasheet A01599) |
| 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 | MALT1-positive staining in germinal center cells of lymph node (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in lymphoid tissues. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page antigen-retrieval setting); compare published citrate pH 6.0 or EDTA pH 8 if needed (PMC8924071; PMC7996004).
Section 2
What Is the Expected MALT1 Staining Pattern?
MALT1 should stain mainly the cytoplasm of lymphoid cells, with the strongest reported IHC signal in germinal center cells of lymph node and tonsil (HPA: tissue IHC, High). Perinuclear or nuclear signal can be plausible because MALT1 shuttles between cytoplasm and nucleus and associates with perinuclear structures (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location). MALT1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q9UDY8: topology). HPA rates its tissue profile Enhanced, with medium staining–RNA consistency pending external verification (HPA: reliability).
| Strong cytoplasmic staining in germinal center cells of lymph node or tonsil. | This matches the clearest reported positive IHC pattern (HPA: High in germinal center cells; cytoplasmic expression in lymphoid tissues). Judge signal in the named cells, since intensity across an entire section can obscure which cells are positive (standard IHC practice). |
| Perinuclear staining, or some nuclear staining alongside cytoplasmic signal. | These compartments are biologically plausible: MALT1 is reported in perinuclear structures and shuttles between cytoplasm and nucleus (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location). Record their distribution separately; HPA’s tissue IHC summary describes cytoplasmic expression and does not establish a predominantly nuclear tissue pattern (HPA: tissue IHC profile). |
| Predominant membrane staining or strong staining of cells expected to be unstained. | A membrane rim is inconsistent with the reported intracellular locations and absence of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location, topology). Signal in adipocytes or adrenal glandular cells also conflicts with the listed IHC observations (HPA: Not detected). Check cross-reactivity and chromogenic background before assigning that signal to MALT1 (standard IHC practice). |
| Uniform chromogen over cells, stroma and empty areas, with indistinct cell boundaries. | Treat this as background until controls distinguish specific staining from detection activity or nonspecific reagent binding (standard IHC practice). It does not resemble HPA’s cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern in lymphoid tissue (HPA: tissue IHC profile). |
| No staining in germinal center cells of a lymph node or tonsil control. | A negative result in these reported High cells weakens interpretation of a negative test section (HPA: tissue IHC). Review section quality, retrieval, antibody and detection controls using the validated IHC procedure (standard IHC practice); one failed control does not identify which step failed. |
💡Expected MALT1 appearanceCall a result positive when germinal center cells show distinct, strong cytoplasmic chromogen (HPA: High in lymph node and tonsil; cytoplasmic tissue profile); perinuclear or limited nuclear signal may fit MALT1 biology (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location), whereas a dominant membrane rim or uniform section-wide deposit should prompt an artifact check (UniProt Q9UDY8: topology; standard IHC practice).
| Cell and tissue selection | Lymph node or tonsil germinal center cells provide the strongest listed IHC comparison (HPA: High). Bone marrow hematopoietic cells are Medium; lung macrophages and colon glandular cells are Low, so weak signal there has less interpretive weight (HPA: tissue IHC). |
| Antibody validation | HPA lists CAB004494 as IHC Enhanced and HPA048432 as ICC Supported, with no IHC status supplied for the latter (HPA: antibody validation). Match conclusions to the antibody and application actually used; HPA’s overall tissue profile has medium staining–RNA consistency and awaits external verification (HPA: reliability). |
| IF/ICC Q: Does nucleolar signal establish the IHC pattern? | No. HPA reports an approved nucleoli fibrillar center location plus cytosol in ICC-IF (HPA: subcellular). Its tissue IHC summary describes cytoplasmic expression in lymphoid tissue (HPA: tissue IHC). Interpret each assay against its own observations. |
| Isoforms and epitope coverage | UniProt lists two MALT1 isoforms (UniProt Q9UDY8: isoforms). The supplied record gives no antibody epitope or isoform coverage, so differences between isoforms cannot be assigned to an observed staining pattern (UniProt Q9UDY8: isoforms; HPA: antibody validation). |
| Chromogenic detection background | Endogenous detection activity and nonspecific reagent binding can complicate chromogenic IHC interpretation; assess appropriate detection controls and blocking under the chosen workflow (standard IHC practice). Neither HPA tissue staining nor UniProt topology establishes MALT1-specific fixation sensitivity (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt Q9UDY8: topology). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Germinal center control is blank. | The expected High-positive cells are absent from the readout (HPA: lymph node and tonsil IHC); the supplied sources do not identify a procedural cause. | Verify that germinal centers are present, then review retrieval, antibody dilution, detection reagents and a run control against the validated IHC procedure (standard IHC practice). |
| Signal appears only as a continuous membrane rim. | A dominant membrane pattern conflicts with MALT1’s intracellular locations and lack of transmembrane segment (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location, topology). | Compare with a High-positive lymphoid control and inspect reagent-only controls, section edges and chromogen deposits before scoring cells positive (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes or adrenal glandular cells stain strongly. | HPA reports these cell populations as Not detected, so strong signal needs verification (HPA: adipose tissue and adrenal gland IHC). | Check cell identity and background controls; compare the same run with germinal center staining before interpreting the unexpected result (HPA: High in germinal center cells; standard IHC practice). |
| Brown deposit is widespread and cell boundaries are unclear. | Diffuse deposit can reflect detection background rather than the reported cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern (standard IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC profile). | Inspect a no-primary or detection-only control and review endogenous activity blocking, washing and chromogen development under the chosen procedure (standard IHC practice). |
| A lung or colon section shows only faint staining. | HPA lists lung macrophages and colon glandular cells as Low, so faint signal can fit their reported IHC levels (HPA: tissue IHC). | Score the specified cells and compartment, and confirm that a lymph node or tonsil germinal center control stains strongly in the same run (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). |
| A nuclear or nucleolar signal dominates interpretation. | Nuclear shuttling is reported by UniProt; HPA’s nucleoli fibrillar center observation comes from ICC-IF, while its tissue IHC profile is cytoplasmic (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location; HPA: subcellular and tissue IHC). | Document nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately. For paraffin IHC, compare with the lymphoid tissue pattern and controls before calling a predominantly nuclear result expected (HPA: tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing MALT1 staining
A01599 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of MALT1 in human spleen tissue with MALT1 antibody at 5 μg/mL.
A01599 · IFImmunofluorescence of MALT1 in human spleen tissue with MALT1 antibody at 20 μg/mL.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000172175-MALT1/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_1524164
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000172175-MALT1/tissue/colon#imid_1524098
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000172175-MALT1/tissue/liver#imid_1524083
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000172175-MALT1/tissue/kidney#imid_1524084
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA048432; green = MALT1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA048432; green = MALT1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for MALT1 IHC & IF
🧪Run lymph node first: germinal center cells should stain strongly (HPA: High in lymph node germinal center cells). Use adipose tissue as the negative tissue, where adipocytes were not detected (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the lymph node slide, compare germinal center staining with surrounding cells, without assuming those cells are MALT1-negative (HPA: High is specified for germinal center cells).
Positive control tissue: Lymph node (Germinal center cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show MALT1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Nucleoli fibrillar center (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary (secondary-only) control, a control antibody matched to the primary antibody’s host species, isotype and clonality, and MALT1-knockout material as a biological negative (standard IHC control practice).
For chromogenic lymph node IHC, block endogenous peroxidase and check for residual background (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported in the supplied evidence, and the selected A01599 tissue-IHC caption does not state a fixative (caption: fixative not stated). Retrieval dependence is also unreported; assess antigen retrieval empirically for paraffin IHC (standard IHC practice). The supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier; assess background in lymph node sections when interpreting staining (standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for MALT1
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Pending external verification.). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymph node | Germinal center cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Tonsil | Germinal center cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Endometrium | Glandular cells | Low | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Stomach | 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 → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bronchus | Respiratory epithelial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Caudate | Glial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced MALT1 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot MALT1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cellular distribution, controls, and scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.
What should I change if MALT1 staining is weak after antigen retrieval?
Start with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 heat-induced retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval rule). If staining remains weak, compare a longer heating interval on adjacent sections while keeping the buffer, antibody concentration, and detection conditions constant (standard IHC practice). Use germinal center cells in lymph node or tonsil as an expected positive population, and check morphology for damage from excessive heating (HPA: High in germinal center cells; standard IHC practice). A negative control processed through the same retrieval helps distinguish improved MALT1 signal from increased nonspecific chromogen deposition (standard IHC practice).
How can I troubleshoot variable MALT1 staining across differently fixed specimens?
The A01599 spleen caption reports 5 µg/mL antibody but states no fixative, so MALT1-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown (caption A01599). For a paraffin-section comparison, document fixative, time before fixation, fixation duration, and tissue thickness for every specimen before changing the staining protocol (standard IHC practice). Run adjacent control sections with the same pH 9.0, 20 min retrieval and detection conditions to isolate specimen-processing differences (page retrieval rule; standard IHC practice). Do not attribute a staining difference to fixation alone until a matched positive tissue and a negative control show that the run performed consistently (standard IHC practice).
Should MALT1 staining appear in the cytoplasm or nucleus?
Assess chromogenic staining first in the cytoplasm of lymphoid cells, the tissue pattern reported for MALT1 (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in lymphoid tissues). Nuclear staining is biologically plausible because MALT1 shuttles between nucleus and cytoplasm, while perinuclear structures can contain MALT1 with BCL10 (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location). Record cytoplasmic, perinuclear, and nuclear signal separately instead of combining them into one positive score (standard IHC practice). A uniformly nuclear pattern across unrelated cell types warrants review of counterstain, negative controls, and section edges before assigning it to MALT1 (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location; standard IHC practice).
Could an antibody epitope explain inconsistent MALT1 staining?
MALT1 has 2 listed isoforms, but the supplied antibody evidence does not map its epitope or establish which isoforms it detects (UniProt Q9UDY8: isoforms; caption A01599). Its death domain spans residues 39–126, with Ig-like domains at 125–201 and 212–305; these are structural landmarks, not an antibody-binding assignment (UniProt Q9UDY8: domains). N-terminal acetylation at residue 2 and phosphorylation at residue 135 are reported, but their effects on this antibody remain untested (UniProt Q9UDY8: modified residues). If staining disagrees with an independent assay, obtain the antibody's epitope information and compare concordant cell populations before invoking an isoform or modification effect (standard IHC practice).
How should I check MALT1 localisation with multiplex immunofluorescence?
Use IF as a separate validation experiment and pair MALT1 with a validated marker of germinal center cells, an IHC-positive population in lymph node and tonsil (HPA: High in germinal center cells; standard IF practice). Choose a far-red MALT1 fluorophore when the specimen shows strong shorter-wavelength autofluorescence, and include single-stain controls to assess bleed-through (standard IF practice). MALT1 has no transmembrane segment and has reported cytoplasmic and nuclear locations, so permeabilise fixed cells or sections to access intracellular epitopes (UniProt Q9UDY8: topology and subcellular location; standard IF practice). Interpret nucleolar or cytosolic IF signals alongside, rather than as replacements for, the tissue IHC pattern (HPA: approved subcellular locations; HPA: tissue IHC profile).
What causes diffuse or speckled background in MALT1 chromogenic IHC?
Compare the stained section with a no-primary control processed through the same retrieval and detection steps; shared signal points to the workflow rather than antibody-specific binding (standard IHC practice). For peroxidase-based detection, a 3% hydrogen peroxide block for about 10 min can reduce endogenous enzyme signal, while clean washes and an appropriate protein block address other background sources (standard IHC practice). Titrate the catalog antibody downward if diffuse staining rises without preserving the expected lymphoid-cell pattern (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in lymphoid tissues; standard IHC practice). Check pigment, precipitated DAB, necrosis, and tissue folds microscopically before treating isolated dark deposits as positive cells (standard IHC practice).
How should I score MALT1 staining across lymphoid samples? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, because MALT1 tissue IHC is reported as cytoplasmic in lymphoid tissues (HPA: tissue IHC profile). For chromogenic sections, record percent positive cells and intensity from 0–3, then calculate an H-score from 0–300 as the sum of each intensity's percentage multiplied by its grade (standard IHC practice). Normalise to the number of evaluable cells in the same annotated population; use positive cells per mm² only when area-based density answers the study question (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, exposure to chromogen, thresholding, and exclusion of damaged regions consistent across specimens (standard IHC practice).
When is apparent MALT1 positivity more likely to be artefact?
Give the most weight to cell-associated cytoplasmic staining in lymphoid tissue, especially germinal center cells where high staining is reported (HPA: tissue IHC profile; HPA: High in germinal center cells). Treat edge-only staining, necrotic deposits, and signal reproduced in a no-primary control as possible processing or detection artefacts (standard IHC practice). Review isolated nuclear staining cautiously: MALT1 can shuttle into the nucleus, but the tissue IHC profile is cytoplasmic (UniProt Q9UDY8: subcellular location; HPA: tissue IHC profile). Apparent staining in an unexpected cell population needs independent confirmation, particularly because the HPA tissue assessment has medium RNA–protein consistency and awaits external verification (HPA: reliability description).
Boster reagents
Best MALT1 / Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 IHC Antibodies
A01599 has IHC and IF images from human spleen (A01599: image captions); its listed reactivity covers human, mouse and rat (A01599: catalog reactivity).
Real IHC data
Anti-MALT1 Antibody
Cat # A01599
A01599 is the sole rendered card (cards payload: A01599), with human spleen IHC at 5 μg/mL and IF at 20 μg/mL (A01599: image captions). Its listed applications include IHC-P and IF, and its listed reactivity is human, mouse and rat (A01599: catalog applications and reactivity).
Which to pick: Choose A01599 for paraffin-section IHC: it lists IHC-P and has a human spleen IHC image at 5 μg/mL (A01599: catalog applications; A01599: IHC image caption); the fixative is unreported (A01599: IHC image caption). For tissue IF, A01599 has a human spleen image at 20 μg/mL (A01599: IF image caption); for ICC/IF, M01599-1 and M01599-2 are listed as human-reactive rabbit monoclonals (M01599-1 and M01599-2: catalog applications, reactivity and clones). For cross-species planning, A01599 and PA1920 list human, mouse and rat reactivity, but the supplied A01599 IHC image shows human spleen only (A01599 and PA1920: catalog reactivity; A01599: IHC image caption).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q9UDY8 (MALT1_HUMAN, Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1).
- Human Protein Atlas. MALT1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. MALT1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoli fibrillar center. In addition localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. MALT1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Identification of MALT1 as both a prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target of regorafenib in cholangiocarcinoma patients. Oncotarget 2017 — PMC5768338.
- Targeting MALT1 Suppresses the Malignant Progression of Colorectal Cancer via miR-375/miR-365a-3p/NF-κB Axis. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 2022 — PMC8924071.
- Clinical utility of repeated IgH gene rearrangement testing for the diagnosis and surveillance of gastric MALT lymphoma. Scientific reports 2025 — PMC12391298.
- A copy number gain on 18q present in primary prostate tumors is associated with metastatic outcome. Urologic oncology 2020 — PMC7996004.
- PubMed PMID:10339464 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:10523859 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:11090634 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for MALT1 (Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in lymphoid tissue (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen). Validated IHC antibody: A01599 at 5 μg/mL (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Lymph node (Germinal center cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01599); 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 anti-MALT1, 5 μg/mL (datasheet A01599); 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 A01599); Caveat: Staining–RNA consistency is medium; verify specificity (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt); Regulation: Lymphoid-enhanced RNA expression (HPA tissue RNA). Evidence: UniProt Q9UDY8, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the nucleoli fibrillar center. In addition…, Datasheet A01599, PMC5768338, PMC8924071. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/MALT1/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.