METTL1 / tRNA (guanine-N(7)-)-methyltransferase · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for METTL1

Plan METTL1 paraffin-section IHC around the nuclear staining reported in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC). This guide identifies tissue controls, antibody concentration and interpretation caveats for the IHC-validated antibody A10859-1 (HPA tissue IHC; datasheet A10859-1).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for METTL1 (IHC for METTL1): expected localisation Nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A10859-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable METTL1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A10859-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full METTL1 IHC guide →

METTL1 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 Nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Nuclear staining; high in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A10859-1)
Positive control ⓘ Epididymis+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 consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Staining–RNA agreement has medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Low tissue RNA specificity (HPA tissue RNA)
Isoform / epitope 2 isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended METTL1 IHC & IF Protocols

Compare the catalog antibody IHC-P protocol (datasheet A10859-1) with published METTL1 IHC conditions for colon sections (PMC13215248) and PTC tumor samples (PMC12075834).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded rat pancreas tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A10859-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A10859-1); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A10859-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet A10859-1)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-METTL1, 2-5μg/ml (datasheet A10859-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet A10859-1)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet A10859-1)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultMETTL1-positive staining in glandular cells of epididymis (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Nuclear expression in several tissues. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (datasheet A10859-1); the colon article specifies retrieval without a buffer (PMC13215248).
Section 2

What Is the Expected METTL1 Staining Pattern?

METTL1 is a nuclear protein without a transmembrane segment (UniProt: Q9UBP6). In paraffin sections, expect nuclear staining in selected glandular and urothelial cells, including pancreatic exocrine cells, epididymal glandular cells and bladder urothelial cells (HPA: High). Tissue staining varies, and HPA rates its tissue IHC evidence Uncertain because antibody staining and RNA expression show only medium consistency (HPA: tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Distinct nuclear staining in pancreatic exocrine cells, epididymal glandular cells or bladder urothelial cells.This fits the reported METTL1 pattern: HPA scores each of these cell populations High and describes nuclear expression in several tissues (HPA: tissue IHC). Compare signal within the named cell population, rather than assigning one intensity to every cell in the section; HPA rates its tissue IHC evidence Uncertain (HPA: tissue IHC).
Predominantly cytoplasmic staining, with little nuclear signal in an expected positive cell population.The compartment conflicts with the reported nuclear tissue pattern (HPA: tissue IHC) and nuclear localization (UniProt: Q9UBP6). Treat it as a possible staining or interpretation artefact; check whether the nuclear counterstain identifies the cells clearly and whether the same pattern persists with appropriate controls.
Strong staining in adipocytes, cardiomyocytes or bronchial respiratory epithelial cells.HPA reports METTL1 as Not detected in these specific cell populations (HPA: tissue IHC). Consider cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic detection activity if staining persists in controls. A single unexpected positive cell is not proof of either cause, especially given HPA's Uncertain tissue IHC reliability (HPA: tissue IHC).
Diffuse color across nuclei, cytoplasm and tissue spaces, without recognizable positive cells.An unstructured signal is difficult to reconcile with HPA's nuclear, cell-specific tissue pattern (HPA: tissue IHC). Assess the no-primary control and background in the same specimen; excess detection activity, nonspecific antibody binding or residual reagent can obscure the compartment needed for interpretation (standard IHC practice).
No nuclear staining in the pancreatic exocrine, epididymal glandular or bladder urothelial cells being used as a positive reference.These cells are reported High by HPA, so an absent signal calls for an assay check (HPA: tissue IHC). Confirm that the reference cell population is present and review primary antibody and detection controls before interpreting another tissue as negative; the HPA reference is useful but carries Uncertain tissue IHC reliability (HPA: tissue IHC).
💡Expected METTL1 appearanceCall a result consistent with METTL1 when clear nuclear staining appears in the named High cell populations (HPA: tissue IHC); broad cytoplasmic color or strong staining in HPA Not detected cells warrants investigation (HPA: tissue IHC).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell population and tissue choiceHPA scores pancreatic exocrine cells, epididymal glandular cells and bladder urothelial cells High, but hepatocytes and prostatic glandular cells Low, and adipocytes Not detected (HPA: tissue IHC). Choose the specific cell population when comparing slides; tissue names alone can hide these differences.
Antibody evidenceThe tissue IHC profile is Uncertain, and HPA020914 has an Uncertain IHC validation status (HPA: tissue IHC; HPA: antibodies). Use the expected nuclear pattern as a reference with controls, rather than treating one matching stain as definitive target confirmation.
Isoforms and processingUniProt lists two METTL1 isoforms and a processed chain spanning residues 2–276 (UniProt: Q9UBP6). The supplied sources do not map an IHC antibody epitope to an isoform or establish isoform-specific tissue staining, so they cannot explain a staining difference by isoform.
IF/ICC Q: Where should METTL1 appear?A: Mainly in the nucleoplasm (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF); HPA lists ICC support for HPA020914 and HPA050450 (HPA: antibodies). This is a localization cross-check for the separate IF/ICC guide, not an IHC-P staining intensity reference.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Expected positive cells show no nuclear signal.The assay may have failed, or the reference cell population may be absent; these cells are reported High, but tissue IHC reliability is Uncertain (HPA: tissue IHC).Verify the named cells on the counterstained section, then review primary antibody, detection reagents and a concurrent positive reference (standard IHC practice).
Color is mainly cytoplasmic in an expected positive tissue.That compartment disagrees with nuclear METTL1 localization (UniProt: Q9UBP6; HPA: tissue IHC); background or cell-boundary interpretation may contribute.Inspect the nuclear counterstain and no-primary control, then score only clearly localized staining; investigate persistent cytoplasmic signal before calling it METTL1.
Strong color appears in a HPA Not detected cell population.Possible cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity; HPA lists adipocytes, cardiomyocytes and bronchial respiratory epithelial cells as Not detected (HPA: tissue IHC).Compare a no-primary control in the same tissue and review blocking appropriate to the chromogenic detection system (standard IHC practice).
Signal covers the section with little cellular definition.Diffuse background can conceal the nuclear pattern reported for METTL1 (HPA: tissue IHC); its source cannot be assigned from the stained slide alone.Check no-primary background, reagent handling and antibody concentration according to the chosen IHC workflow (standard IHC practice); reassess localization after background is controlled.
Only faint signal appears in liver hepatocytes or prostatic glandular cells.HPA scores these populations Low (HPA: tissue IHC), so weak staining can fit the reference pattern; intensity alone cannot establish assay failure.Compare them with a concurrent High reference cell population and its nuclear pattern (HPA: tissue IHC) before adjusting the assay.
Two tissue sections give different staining strengths.HPA reports cell-dependent levels, including High pancreatic exocrine cells and Low hepatocytes (HPA: tissue IHC); the supplied sources give no METTL1-specific fixation sensitivity.Confirm which cell populations are being compared, score nuclear localization separately from intensity, and check run controls before attributing the difference to sample handling.

Sample controls for METTL1 IHC & IF

🧪Run pancreas first and score exocrine glandular cells, which show High METTL1 staining (HPA: pancreas, exocrine glandular cells High). Use adipose tissue adipocytes as the biological tissue negative (HPA: adipose tissue, adipocytes Not detected); on the pancreas slide, treat cells showing counterstain without specific nuclear signal as internal background references, without assuming a particular cell type is METTL1-negative (UniProt: ubiquitous; UniProt: nucleus).
Positive control tissue: Epididymis (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show METTL1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, PC-3, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (enhanced) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype controls, plus METTL1-knockout material as a target-specific negative (caption: rabbit anti-METTL1; standard IHC practice). For the pancreas section, quench endogenous peroxidase and block endogenous biotin before the biotin-based DAB detection, since both can create background with this detection scheme (caption: biotinylated secondary, SABC and DAB; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: Paraffin-section IHC is demonstrated in rat pancreas using heat retrieval in EDTA pH 8.0; the selected A10859-1 caption does not state the fixative, and no target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported (caption: rat pancreas paraffin section, EDTA pH 8.0; caption: fixative not stated). Retrieval was used in that example, but its necessity has not been established by a comparison without retrieval (caption: heat-mediated retrieval). The supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier than paraffin IHC; assess pancreatic exocrine background during optimization, and use nuclear staining as the localization reference (HPA: nucleoplasm enhanced; standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for METTL1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Uncertain — 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

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Epididymis Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Pancreas Exocrine glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Urinary bladder Urothelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Adrenal gland Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes 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 →
Heart muscle Cardiomyocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced METTL1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot METTL1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, nuclear localisation, controls and cell-specific scoring before interpreting differences in signal.

Which retrieval condition should I start with for METTL1 IHC in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated antigen retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for METTL1 paraffin-section IHC (datasheet A10859-1). The selected rat pancreas image used this condition before overnight incubation with 2 μg/mL primary antibody at 4°C (A10859-1 IHC caption). If nuclear staining is weak, check that sections experienced consistent heating and cooling, then compare retrieval intensity on matched sections while holding detection conditions constant (standard IHC practice). Include a positive control with expected nuclear staining, such as pancreatic exocrine glandular cells, when appropriate to the experiment (HPA: High in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells; UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus). Record tissue loss or diffuse background alongside signal so stronger retrieval is not mistaken for better specificity (standard IHC practice).
Can I choose a METTL1-specific fixation condition from the available IHC evidence?
No METTL1-specific fixation sensitivity is established by the supplied IHC evidence; the selected paraffin-section caption does not state its fixative (A10859-1 IHC caption). Treat fixation history as an experimental variable, and compare sections processed with documented fixation and staining conditions when investigating inconsistent nuclear signal (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval at EDTA pH 8.0 initially so a change in staining can be assessed without simultaneously changing the reported retrieval condition (datasheet A10859-1). Use matched positive-control tissue and inspect morphology, since uneven preservation can complicate interpretation of both stain intensity and cell identity (standard IHC practice). Do not infer a fixation preference from METTL1’s nuclear location or annotated modifications (UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus; modified residues at positions 2 and 27).
How should I assess METTL1 staining that extends beyond nuclei?
Score nuclear staining first: METTL1 is annotated in the nucleus, and the subcellular profile places it mainly in the nucleoplasm (UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus; HPA subcellular: nucleoplasm). For each section, compare nuclear signal with cytoplasmic colour, counterstain visibility and tissue architecture before assigning a positive cell (standard IHC practice). Diffuse colour outside nuclei warrants inspection of the no-primary control and detection background, particularly if it obscures the expected compartment (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus). METTL1 has no annotated transmembrane segment, so membrane-only staining requires independent validation before interpretation as specific signal (UniProt Q9UBP6: topology). Record nuclear and nonnuclear patterns separately rather than combining them into one intensity score (standard IHC practice).
Could METTL1 isoforms or modifications explain inconsistent staining across sections?
METTL1 has 2 annotated isoforms, but the supplied antibody information does not locate its epitope or establish isoform selectivity (UniProt Q9UBP6: isoforms; A10859-1 IHC caption). Its annotated modifications include N-acetylalanine at position 2 and phosphorylation at position 27; their effects on this antibody’s IHC staining are unknown (UniProt Q9UBP6: modified residues). When sections disagree, first compare retrieval, section processing and nuclear signal in matched control tissue before attributing the difference to an isoform or modification (standard IHC practice). If isoform-specific interpretation matters, establish the antibody’s recognized sequence and test appropriate independent specificity controls before making that claim (standard IHC practice). Report the antibody and staining conditions with any negative result, because an unmapped epitope limits what absence of chromogen can establish (A10859-1 IHC caption; standard IHC practice).
How can I check an IHC localisation result using multiplex IF?
Use IF as a separate localisation check and optimise its fixation and antibody conditions independently of the paraffin-section IHC caption (A10859-1 IHC caption; standard IF practice). Pair METTL1 with a validated marker of the expected cell type, such as a glandular-cell marker when examining the reported pancreatic exocrine population (HPA: High in pancreatic exocrine glandular cells; standard IF practice). Select a fluorophore channel that separates target signal from measured tissue autofluorescence, and include single-stain and no-primary controls for multiplex interpretation (standard IF practice). Because METTL1 is nuclear and has no transmembrane segment, use permeabilisation appropriate for access to an intracellular nuclear epitope, while recognising that this antibody’s exact epitope is unreported (UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus and topology; A10859-1 IHC caption). Assess nuclear colocalisation at the cell level rather than treating total field fluorescence as equivalent to IHC positivity (HPA subcellular: nucleoplasm; standard IF practice).
What should I change when METTL1 chromogenic IHC has diffuse background?
First compare a no-primary control with the stained section to locate background from secondary detection, endogenous activity or the chromogen workflow (standard IHC practice). The selected image used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/mL rabbit primary overnight at 4°C, biotinylated secondary for 30 minutes at 37°C, and DAB development (A10859-1 IHC caption). Check peroxidase blocking, washing and DAB development as general chromogenic IHC steps, and evaluate any biotin-related background with the chosen detection system (standard IHC practice). Then adjust one variable at a time while retaining EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval as the documented starting condition (datasheet A10859-1; standard IHC practice). Preserve a nuclear positive control to distinguish lower background from loss of detectable METTL1 staining (UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus; standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify METTL1 IHC across tissues with different cell composition? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and nuclear scoring rule before examining group differences, because the expected METTL1 pattern is mainly nuclear (HPA subcellular: nucleoplasm; standard IHC practice). For glandular regions, report the percentage of positive nuclei and, when intensity is reproducible, an H-score within the same annotated cell compartment (standard IHC practice). For spatial comparisons, positive nuclei per mm² can complement the fraction positive, provided tissue area and excluded damaged regions are defined consistently (standard IHC practice). Normalise counts to the number of evaluable nuclei in the specified cell type, and keep exposure or staining conditions and scoring thresholds consistent across sections (standard IHC practice). Report compartment and control performance with each score, since the HPA tissue-IHC reliability is classified as uncertain (HPA: Uncertain; standard IHC practice).
When is a METTL1 IHC-positive pattern credible rather than artefactual?
A credible pattern places signal in nuclei of identifiable cells, consistent with METTL1’s annotated nuclear location and mainly nucleoplasmic profile (UniProt Q9UBP6: nucleus; HPA subcellular: nucleoplasm). Pancreatic exocrine glandular cells provide a reported high-staining reference, while adipocytes are reported as not detected in the tissue atlas; compare them only within a suitably controlled experiment (HPA: pancreatic exocrine glandular cells High; adipocytes Not detected). Treat staining confined to section edges, necrotic areas or endogenous-enzyme-rich background as suspect, and inspect morphology and no-primary controls before scoring (standard IHC practice). Membrane-only colour conflicts with the annotated topology and nuclear localisation, so it needs independent specificity evidence (UniProt Q9UBP6: no transmembrane segment; nucleus). Interpret a convincing IHC pattern as protein localisation, not direct evidence of RNA methylation activity (UniProt Q9UBP6: catalytic function; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best METTL1 / tRNA (guanine-N(7)-)-methyltransferase IHC Antibodies

A10859-1 has IHC images from paraffin sections of rat pancreas and human breast, gastric and pancreatic cancers, plus an IF/ICC image from A431 cells (catalog image captions).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of METTL1 using anti-METTL1 antibody (A10859-1). METTL1 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of rat pancreas 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-METTL1 Antibody (A10859-1) 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.
Anti-METTL1 Antibody ®
Cat # A10859-1

A10859-1 has IHC images from paraffin sections of rat pancreas and human breast, gastric and pancreatic cancers (catalog IHC captions). The same SKU has an IF/ICC image from A431 cells and lists Human and Rat reactivity (catalog IF caption; catalog reactivity).

Which to pick: Choose A10859-1 for tissue IHC: its images document paraffin sections with EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 and 2 μg/ml primary antibody; the fixative is unreported (catalog IHC captions). Choose A10859-1 for IF/ICC when its A431 cell image is relevant; that caption uses 5 μg/ml, while the catalog lists both IF and ICC applications (catalog IF caption; catalog applications). For human and rat tissue IHC, the same SKU has images from both species and lists both as reactive; clonality is unreported (catalog IHC captions; catalog reactivity; catalog clone field).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q9UBP6 (TRMB_HUMAN, tRNA (guanine-N(7)-)-methyltransferase).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. METTL1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Uncertain).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. METTL1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. METTL1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. A context-dependent METTL1-m7G-SLC7A11 axis links metabolic stress to epithelial fate in ulcerative colitis. International journal of biological sciences 2026 — PMC13215248.
  6. Methyltransferase METTL1 regulates MSC mRNA stability via m7G modification in acute pancreatitis. Cell death & disease 2026 — PMC13538475.
  7. METTL1-mediated m(7)G tRNA modification drives papillary thyroid cancer progression and metastasis by regulating the codon-specific translation of TNF-α. Cell death & disease 2025 — PMC12075834.
  8. Comprehensive analysis of 7-methylguanosine and immune microenvironment characteristics in clear cell renal cell carcinomas. Frontiers in genetics 2022 — PMC9393245.
  9. PubMed PMID:10329009 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:16541075 — UniProt-cited evidence.