MAPK11 / Mitogen-activated protein kinase 11 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for MAPK11

Plan paraffin-section MAPK11 staining using the granular cytoplasmic pattern observed in tissue (HPA tissue IHC). This guide pairs the catalog antibody’s IHC conditions (datasheet A03738-1) with UniProt’s annotation of a possible nuclear location (UniProt).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use

Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for MAPK11 (IHC for MAPK11): expected localisation Granular cytoplasm observed in tissue; nucleus annotated (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt), antibody A03738-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps — Printable **MAPK11** IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Granular cytoplasm observed in tissue; nucleus annotated (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt), antibody A03738-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full MAPK11 IHC guide →

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MAPK11 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	Granular cytoplasm observed in tissue; nucleus annotated (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt)
	Staining pattern	Often granular cytoplasmic staining across tissues (HPA tissue IHC)
	Antigen retrieval	EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A03738-1)
	Positive control ⓘ	Cerebellum+4 more · see all
	Negative control ⓘ	Ovary

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 A03738-1)
	Caveat	IHC staining and RNA expression show medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC)
	Regulation	Stress activates; expression change unclear (UniProt)
	Isoform / epitope	2 isoforms; epitope coverage unspecified (UniProt)

Section 1

Recommended MAPK11 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody protocol uses EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval (datasheet A03738-1); the published human brain IHC protocol uses citrate pH 6.0 (PMC5717400).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
Sample	Paraffin-embedded human rectal cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A03738-1)
Fixation	Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A03738-1); 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 A03738-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block	3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking	10% goat serum (datasheet A03738-1)
Primary antibody	Rabbit anti-MAPK11, 2-5μg/ml (datasheet A03738-1)
Primary incubation	Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A03738-1)
Detection	Streptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A03738-1)
Counterstain	Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected result	MAPK11-positive staining in cells in granular layer of cerebellum (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression often in a granular pattern. No signal in the no-primary control.

💡Decision noteStart with EDTA pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet A03738-1). Consider citrate pH 6.0 when adapting the published human brain protocol (PMC5717400).

Section 2

What Is the Expected MAPK11 Staining Pattern?

For paraffin-section IHC, expect predominantly cytoplasmic MAPK11 staining, often granular (HPA: tissue IHC profile). Strong reference patterns include cerebellar granular-layer cells, kidney tubular cells and intestinal glandular cells (HPA: High in each). Nuclear localisation is also possible (UniProt Q15759: cytoplasm; nucleus), while a membrane-bound pattern is unexpected (UniProt Q15759: no transmembrane segment). HPA rates its tissue IHC evidence Approved, with medium consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA: reliability description).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Granular cytoplasmic staining in kidney tubules or intestinal glands, with little surrounding background.	This matches the reported compartment and high-staining cell populations (HPA: ubiquitous, often granular cytoplasmic expression; High in kidney tubules and small-intestinal glandular cells). Compare cells within the section: a tissue-wide brown wash does not show the same cell-level pattern.
Predominantly cell-surface or extracellular staining, with little cytoplasmic signal.	This conflicts with the reported cytoplasmic IHC pattern and absence of a transmembrane segment (HPA: tissue IHC profile; UniProt Q15759: topology). Check whether the pattern persists in a detection-only control before assigning it to MAPK11. Nuclear signal alone is less decisive because UniProt also lists the nucleus (UniProt Q15759: subcellular location).
Strong staining in ovarian stromal cells while expected positive cells stain weakly.	Ovarian stromal cells are reported as not detected (HPA: ovary). This mismatch raises concern for antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity; it does not make the entire ovary a validated negative control. Compare a reagent-omission control and a known-positive cell population.
Diffuse brown colour across cells, stroma and empty spaces, without clear intracellular boundaries.	The distribution does not resemble the reported, often granular cytoplasmic staining (HPA: tissue IHC profile). In chromogenic IHC, residual detection activity, nonspecific binding or excess chromogen development can produce background (general IHC practice); review controls before scoring cells.
No staining in cerebellar granular-layer cells, kidney tubules or duodenal glands.	These are reported High-staining populations (HPA: cerebellum, kidney and duodenum). An entirely blank positive-control section points first to assay performance or sample quality; one negative specimen alone cannot establish loss of MAPK11. Review control-section staining and the antibody's documented IHC-P conditions.

💡Expected MAPK11 appearanceCall a result convincing when cell-resolved, often granular cytoplasmic staining appears in a reported High population, such as kidney tubules (HPA: tissue IHC profile; kidney); surface-only staining or uniform brown background is suspect (UniProt Q15759: topology; general IHC practice).

How each factor affects the staining
Cell population and intensity	HPA reports High staining in cerebellar granular-layer cells, cerebral-cortex neuropil, duodenal and gallbladder glands, kidney tubules and small-intestinal glands (HPA: tissue IHC). Stomach glands and adipocytes are Medium; ovarian stromal cells are not detected (HPA: tissue IHC). Judge the named population, not the whole organ.
Compartment and topology	The IHC profile is ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression, often granular (HPA: tissue IHC profile). UniProt also lists the nucleus and reports no signal peptide or transmembrane segment (UniProt Q15759: subcellular location; processing; topology). Nuclear staining needs context; a dominant membrane or extracellular rim lacks support here.
Evidence strength	HPA rates tissue IHC Approved but describes only medium consistency with RNA expression (HPA: reliability). HPA045069 and CAB012961 have Approved IHC status (HPA: antibody records). These observations guide control selection; matching their pattern alone does not prove that every stained cell contains MAPK11.
Phosphorylation and activation	MAPK11 has reported phosphorylation sites at Thr180, Tyr182 and Tyr323 (UniProt Q15759: modified residues). Total-protein staining should not be interpreted as pathway activation from colour intensity alone; the supplied evidence does not specify a phospho-selective IHC antibody or an activation-linked staining pattern.
Isoforms and antibody recognition	UniProt lists 2 isoforms and a protein-kinase domain at residues 24–308 (UniProt Q15759: isoforms; domains). The supplied antibody records give no epitope or isoform coverage (HPA: antibody records), so staining cannot be assigned to one isoform. Avoid using an unstated epitope position to explain a negative section.
IF/ICC Q: What localisation is reported?	A: HPA reports approved cytosolic localisation by ICC-IF, with images from MCF-7, SH-SY5Y and U2OS cells (HPA: subcellular record). UniProt also lists the nucleus (UniProt Q15759: subcellular location). The ICC-IF observation supports a cytosolic expectation; it does not establish an IHC nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio.

Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
Situation	Likely cause	Next action
Known-positive tissue is blank.	A detection or staining-run failure is possible when a reported High population is also blank (HPA: kidney tubules, duodenal glands and cerebellar granular-layer cells).	Check the run's positive control, primary-antibody application and detection reagents; then compare antigen retrieval and dilution with the catalog antibody's IHC-P instructions (general IHC practice). Do not infer MAPK11 loss from the blank section alone.
Brown staining spreads through stroma or empty spaces.	That distribution differs from the cell-associated cytoplasmic profile (HPA: tissue IHC profile); chromogenic background may reflect nonspecific binding or detection chemistry (general IHC practice).	Inspect the reagent-omission control, blocking and chromogen-development time, then rescore only staining clearly associated with cells (general IHC practice).
Ovarian stromal cells stain strongly.	HPA reports MAPK11 as not detected in ovarian stromal cells (HPA: ovary); cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic activity is possible.	Compare the ovarian stroma with a known-positive population and a primary-antibody omission control; check the endogenous-enzyme block if enzyme-based detection was used (general IHC practice).
A sharp cell-surface rim dominates the section.	The pattern lacks support from the cytoplasmic IHC profile and the absence of a transmembrane segment (HPA: tissue IHC profile; UniProt Q15759: topology).	Review the negative detection control and whether the rim follows tissue edges or damaged areas; withhold a MAPK11 localisation call until intracellular staining is resolved (general IHC practice).
Nuclear signal appears alongside cytoplasmic staining.	Nuclear localisation is listed by UniProt, while HPA tissue IHC describes mainly cytoplasmic staining (UniProt Q15759: subcellular location; HPA: tissue IHC profile).	Record nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately and compare them with controls. Treat nuclear signal as a finding to verify, rather than automatically calling it artefact or activated MAPK11.
A low-staining sample seems negative.	Oral squamous cells, bladder urothelial cells, vaginal squamous cells and marrow hematopoietic cells are reported Low (HPA: tissue IHC). Weak or absent visual signal there is less informative than a blank High-staining control.	First confirm staining in a reported High population, such as kidney tubules (HPA: kidney). Score the low-staining sample against background and preserve an uncertain call if its signal cannot be distinguished reliably (general IHC practice).

Source: UniProt Q15759 Human Protein Atlas tissue Human Protein Atlas subcellular

Experiment evidence

IHC & IF images showing MAPK11 staining

IHC analysis of MAPK11 using anti-MAPK11 antibody (A03738-1). MAPK11 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human rectal cancer tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 2μg/ml rabbit anti-MAPK11 Antibody (A03738-1) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC) (Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.

A03738-1 · IHCIHC analysis of MAPK11 using anti-MAPK11 antibody (A03738-1). MAPK11 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human rectal cancer tissue

IHC analysis of MAPK1 using anti-MAPK1 antibody (A03738-1). MAPK1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of mouse brain tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 2 μg/ml rabbit anti-MAPK1 Antibody (A03738-1) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC) (Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.

A03738-1 · IHCIHC analysis of MAPK1 using anti-MAPK1 antibody (A03738-1). MAPK1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of mouse brain tissue. Heat me

IF analysis of MAPK11 using anti-MAPK11 antibody (A03738-1). MAPK11 was detected in immunocytochemical section of A431 cells. Enzyme antigen retrieval was performed using IHC enzyme antigen retrieval reagent (AR0022) for 15 mins. The cells were blocked with 10% goat serum. And then incubated with 5μg/mL rabbit anti-MAPK11 Antibody (A03738-1) overnight at 4°C. DyLight®488 Conjugated Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (BA1127) was used as secondary antibody at 1:100 dilution and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The section was counterstained with DAPI. Visualize using a fluorescence microscope and filter sets appropriate for the label used.

A03738-1 · IFIF analysis of MAPK11 using anti-MAPK11 antibody (A03738-1). MAPK11 was detected in immunocytochemical section of A431 cells. Enzyme antigen

HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000185386-MAPK11/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_17922763

HPA · LungHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Lung. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000185386-MAPK11/tissue/lung#imid_17922634

HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000185386-MAPK11/tissue/colon#imid_17922697

HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000185386-MAPK11/tissue/liver#imid_17922690

HPA · ICC-IF MCF-7Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, MCF-7, antibody HPA073133; green = MAPK11, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.

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Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.

Sample controls for MAPK11 IHC & IF

🧪Run kidney first: tubular cells should stain (HPA: High in kidney tubule cells). Run ovary as the negative tissue, focusing on stromal cells (HPA: Not detected in ovarian stroma cells); on the kidney slide, use cells without visible signal to assess background, without treating them as a validated negative cell type.

Positive control tissue: Cerebellum (Cells in granular layer, HPA High)

Negative control tissue: Ovary (HPA Not detected)

ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show MAPK11 in MCF-7, SH-SY5Y, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (approved) (HPA subcellular).

Technical controls: Include a no-primary (secondary-only) control, a rabbit IgG control matched to the primary antibody’s clonality (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary), and MAPK11-knockout tissue as a biological negative. Block endogenous peroxidase and check for endogenous biotin in kidney when using the caption’s biotin-based DAB detection (selected-SKU caption: biotinylated secondary and DAB; standard IHC practice).

⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported, and the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative unreported). That caption provides a retrieval starting point of heat-mediated EDTA, pH 8.0, but does not establish that retrieval is required (selected-SKU caption: EDTA, pH 8.0). Paraffin IHC has a documented starting point, while the supplied IF evidence covers cell lines rather than tissue sections; it does not establish that frozen sections or tissue IF are easier (selected-SKU caption: paraffin-section IHC; HPA subcellular: ICC-IF images).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for MAPK11

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — 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
Cerebellum	Cells in granular layer	High	Protein (IHC)	HPA →
Cerebral cortex	Neuropil	High	Protein (IHC)	HPA →
Duodenum	Glandular cells	High	Protein (IHC)	HPA →
Gallbladder	Glandular cells	High	Protein (IHC)	HPA →
Kidney	Cells in tubules	High	Protein (IHC)	HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

Tissue	Cell type	Level	Evidence	Source
Ovary	Ovarian stroma cells	Not detected	Protein (IHC)	HPA →

Section 3

Advanced MAPK11 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot MAPK11 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, antibody specificity, and cell-level controls before interpreting chromogenic signal.

Which retrieval condition should I try first when MAPK11 staining is weak?

Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet A03738-1). The documented paraffin-section workflow then used 10% goat serum and 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C (datasheet A03738-1). Compare retrieved and unretrieved sections from the same specimen, keeping detection and development constant to isolate the retrieval effect (general IHC practice). If staining remains weak, vary heating duration on adjacent sections and check tissue preservation before considering another buffer (general IHC practice). Judge improvement by cellular cytoplasmic signal rather than stronger staining at section edges (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).

How should I troubleshoot inconsistent MAPK11 staining after tissue fixation?

Target-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown because the selected paraffin-section caption does not report a fixative (datasheet A03738-1). Record each specimen’s fixative, fixation duration, processing history, and section age before comparing staining across cases (general IHC practice). Process adjacent sections together, using EDTA at pH 8.0 and the same antibody concentration and detection conditions (datasheet A03738-1; general IHC practice). If a specimen is unexpectedly faint, inspect morphology and compare it with a concurrently stained reference section before changing retrieval (general IHC practice). Do not attribute a fixation effect to MAPK11 without a controlled comparison of fixation conditions (general IHC practice).

Should MAPK11 appear in nuclei, cytoplasm, or both in IHC sections?

Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining, sometimes granular, in tissue sections (HPA tissue IHC: ubiquitous cytoplasmic expression, often granular). Cytosolic localisation is independently supported by cell imaging, while nuclear localisation is also listed for MAPK11 (HPA subcellular: approved cytosol; UniProt Q15759: cytoplasm and nucleus). Score cytoplasmic and nuclear signal separately rather than treating every dark nucleus as target positive (general IHC practice). Compare nuclear staining with an adjacent section lacking primary antibody and with tissue morphology, especially where counterstain is dense (general IHC practice). A purely membranous pattern warrants scrutiny because MAPK11 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q15759 topology).

Can this stain distinguish MAPK11 isoforms or phosphorylation states?

MAPK11 has 2 listed isoforms, but the supplied caption does not identify the antibody’s epitope or establish isoform selectivity (UniProt Q15759 isoforms; datasheet A03738-1). Its kinase domain spans residues 24–308, and reported phosphorylation sites include Thr180, Tyr182, and Tyr323 (UniProt Q15759 domains and modified residues). Check the antibody’s epitope documentation before interpreting staining as isoform-specific or phosphorylation-specific (general IHC practice). If that distinction matters, validate against an independently characterised comparator under the same retrieval and detection conditions (general IHC practice). Interpret shared p38-family patterns cautiously because MAPK11 functions substantially overlap with MAPK14 (UniProt Q15759 function).

How can IF help assess cell identity and compartment when IHC is ambiguous?

Use IF as a separate assay and multiplex MAPK11 with a marker identifying the cell population of interest (general IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores, placing the weaker signal in a channel with less tissue autofluorescence, and examine single-stain controls (general IF practice). MAPK11 is cytosolic and has no transmembrane segment, so permeabilisation must permit access to an intracellular epitope while preserving cell structure (HPA subcellular: approved cytosol; UniProt Q15759 topology; general IF practice). Include an unstained tissue control to identify autofluorescent structures before calling colocalisation (general IF practice). The 2 μg/ml concentration belongs to the documented chromogenic paraffin-section workflow and requires separate IF optimisation (datasheet A03738-1; general IF practice).

What should I check when MAPK11 DAB staining looks diffuse or widespread?

First distinguish genuine broad cytoplasmic expression from haze: HPA describes MAPK11 tissue staining as ubiquitous and often granular (HPA tissue IHC). Review a section lacking primary antibody to assess detection background, and include a peroxidase block before DAB development (general IHC practice). The documented workflow used 10% goat serum, biotinylated secondary antibody for 30 minutes at 37°C, and avidin-biotin detection with DAB (datasheet A03738-1). If background persists, compare shorter development and stronger washing on adjacent sections while keeping the primary incubation fixed (general IHC practice). Treat diffuse deposits without cell boundaries as suspect rather than counting them as positive cells (general IHC practice).

How should I score MAPK11 staining across heterogeneous tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION

Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, because MAPK11 is broadly cytoplasmic in tissue and can also localise to nuclei (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q15759 subcellular location). For cellular regions, report percentage of positive cells and an H-score using intensity grades 0–3, yielding 0–300 (general IHC practice). For spatial questions, report positive-cell density per mm² of viable tissue, with the sampled area recorded (general IHC practice). Normalise comparisons to the same cell type, compartment, section area, staining batch, and exposure to DAB development (general IHC practice). Exclude necrotic and damaged regions by a prespecified rule, and record cytoplasmic and nuclear scores separately (general IHC practice).

How do I distinguish true MAPK11 signal from staining artefact?

A convincing result follows cell boundaries and shows cytoplasmic signal, possibly granular, in the relevant tissue compartment (HPA tissue IHC). Strong staining in glandular cells of duodenum or small intestine and kidney tubules provides tissue-pattern context, while ovarian stromal cells were not detected in the cited survey (HPA tissue IHC). Check suspicious rim staining, necrotic zones, and deposits in cell-free areas against morphology and a section lacking primary antibody (general IHC practice). Investigate apparent membrane-only staining because MAPK11 lacks a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q15759 topology). Exclude endogenous peroxidase activity before interpreting DAB signal, and remember that staining alone does not establish MAPK11 kinase activation (general IHC practice; UniProt Q15759 modified residues).

Boster reagents

Best MAPK11 / Mitogen-activated protein kinase 11 IHC Antibodies

A03738-1 has IHC data from human rectal cancer paraffin sections and IF data from A431 cells (catalog image captions); listed reactivity includes human, mouse, and rat (catalog reactivity).

Real IHC data

Anti-MAPK11 Antibody ®

Cat # A03738-1

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A03738-1 will render with its MAPK11 IHC image from a human rectal cancer paraffin section (A03738-1 IHC caption). The same SKU lists IHC and IF/ICC applications and has an IF image from A431 cells (catalog applications; A03738-1 IF caption).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A03738-1: its MAPK11 image documents a human paraffin section, EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0, and 2 μg/ml primary antibody; the fixative is unreported (A03738-1 IHC caption). For IF/ICC, A03738-1 has A431-cell IF data at 5 μg/ml (A03738-1 IF caption). For work across species, A03738-1 lists human, mouse, and rat reactivity, but its MAPK11 IHC image documents human tissue only; clonality is unreported (catalog reactivity; A03738-1 IHC caption; catalog antibody record).

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

References

UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q15759 (MK11_HUMAN, Mitogen-activated protein kinase 11).
Human Protein Atlas. MAPK11 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
Human Protein Atlas. MAPK11 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the cytosol..
Human Protein Atlas. MAPK11 antibody validation summary (3 antibodies).
Transcription factor ETV4 promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by driving hepatic TNF-α signaling. Cancer communications (London, England) 2023 — PMC10693303.
18ï ¢-Glycyrrhetinic acid suppresses glioblastoma by regulating p38 signaling pathway: an integrative approach combining network analysis, transcriptomics, and experimental assessment. Frontiers in pharmacology 2026 — PMC12953517.
Suppression of MAPK11 or HIPK3 reduces mutant Huntingtin levels in Huntington's disease models. Cell research 2017 — PMC5717400.
PubMed PMID:8663524 — UniProt-cited evidence.
PubMed PMID:9207191 — UniProt-cited evidence.
PubMed PMID:9430721 — UniProt-cited evidence.