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MTA1 / Metastasis-associated protein MTA1 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for MTA1
Plan chromogenic IHC for MTA1 using its nuclear and cytoplasmic tissue staining profile (HPA tissue IHC). This guide covers control tissue selection, fixation consistency, and interpretation of tumor staining (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
MTA1 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 and cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Nuclear and cytoplasmic; strongest in CNS and testis (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Citrate pH 6 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet PA1483) | |
| Positive control | Cerebellum+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 PA1483) | |
| Caveat | Staining and RNA expression have only medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Higher in tumors than adjacent tissue (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 3 isoforms; epitope coverage is unreported (UniProt; datasheet PA1483) |
Section 1
Recommended MTA1 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet PA1483) is accompanied by four published MTA1 IHC protocols (PMC4148129; PMC2972736; PMC12261658; PMC3478212).
| Sample | Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet PA1483); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat retrieval: Citrate pH 6, 20 min (datasheet PA1483) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet PA1483) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-MTA1, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet PA1483) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet PA1483) |
| Detection | Streptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet PA1483) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | MTA1-positive staining in purkinje cells of cerebellum (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Nuclear and cytoplasmic expression in most tissues, most abundant in the CNS and testis. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated citrate pH 6 retrieval (datasheet PA1483). Published alternatives include microwave citrate (PMC12261658) and microwave EDTA (PMC3478212).
Section 2
What Is the Expected MTA1 Staining Pattern?
MTA1 is mainly nuclear, with cytoplasmic staining also expected; nuclear envelope and cytoskeletal localization are reported (UniProt Q13330; HPA: nuclear and cytoplasmic tissue IHC). In paraffin sections, look for staining in the identified cells, especially Purkinje cells, cortical neurons, Hofbauer cells and Leydig cells (HPA: High). Tissue IHC reliability is Supported, with medium consistency against RNA data (HPA: tissue IHC). MTA1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q13330 topology).
| Distinct nuclear staining, with or without cytoplasmic staining, in Purkinje cells, cortical neurons, Hofbauer cells or Leydig cells (HPA: High; HPA: tissue IHC pattern). | This matches the reported compartments and high staining in those cell types (HPA: tissue IHC). Judge each cell population separately: MTA1 is seen across many tissues, but staining level varies by cell type (HPA: tissue IHC). |
| Signal confined to extracellular material or cell borders, without convincing nuclear or cytoplasmic signal (HPA: tissue IHC pattern; UniProt Q13330 localization). | Treat this as a suspect pattern and compare it with a known-positive section and negative control (general IHC practice). Cytoplasmic or nuclear-envelope signal alone is not automatically misplaced, because both localizations are reported (UniProt Q13330; HPA: tissue IHC). |
| Strong staining in adipocytes or cardiomyocytes while the expected positive cell population also stains (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes and cardiomyocytes; HPA: High in selected cells). | Investigate nonspecific antibody binding or endogenous detection activity with appropriate controls (general IHC practice). A single unexpected positive cell does not establish cross-reactivity; the HPA observations are cell-specific reference patterns, not an absolute exclusion of MTA1 (HPA: tissue IHC). |
| Diffuse chromogen over cells and tissue spaces obscures nuclear boundaries (general IHC practice). | The section cannot support a confident compartment call (general IHC practice). Check the negative control, blocking, antibody concentration, washes and detection conditions before assigning MTA1 positivity (general IHC practice); HPA reports a nuclear and cytoplasmic pattern, not uniform haze (HPA: tissue IHC). |
| No staining in a section containing identifiable Purkinje cells, cortical neurons, Hofbauer cells or Leydig cells (HPA: High in these cell types). | First assess whether the IHC run worked using an appropriate positive control, then review retrieval, antibody and detection conditions (general IHC practice). An absent result in one section cannot establish that MTA1 is absent from the tissue (HPA: tissue IHC reference pattern). |
💡Expected MTA1 appearanceCall a positive result when identifiable cells show distinct nuclear staining, with possible cytoplasmic staining, particularly in the listed High cell populations (HPA: tissue IHC); diffuse background or isolated extracellular signal is suspect (general IHC practice; UniProt Q13330 localization).
| Cell population and tissue context | HPA reports High staining in Purkinje cells, cortical neurons, Hofbauer cells and Leydig cells, but no detected staining in adipocytes or cardiomyocytes (HPA: tissue IHC). Identify the cell type before interpreting a tissue-level result (general IHC practice). |
| Compartment and topology | Nuclear, cytoplasmic, nuclear-envelope and cytoskeletal locations are reported (UniProt Q13330); tissue IHC describes nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (HPA: tissue IHC). MTA1 has no transmembrane segment, so a membrane-only pattern needs scrutiny (UniProt Q13330 topology). |
| Isoforms and antibody interpretation | UniProt lists 3 MTA1 isoforms (UniProt Q13330). The supplied record gives no antibody epitope or isoform coverage, so an unexpected pattern cannot be assigned to an isoform from these sources alone (UniProt Q13330; HPA: antibody summaries). |
| Evidence strength | The tissue pattern is Supported, with medium consistency against RNA data (HPA: tissue IHC). Two listed antibodies have Supported IHC status; that does not establish every observed stain as specific (HPA: antibody summaries; general IHC practice). |
| IF/ICC Q&A: Where should MTA1 appear? | Mainly in the nucleoplasm, with additional cytosolic signal (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF). This is an IF/ICC localization reference; interpret chromogenic paraffin sections against the tissue IHC pattern and its stated reliability (HPA: tissue IHC). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Known-positive cells show no signal (HPA: High in Purkinje cells, cortical neurons, Hofbauer cells and Leydig cells). | The run may have insufficient detectable signal; the supplied sources establish no MTA1-specific fixation or retrieval sensitivity (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt Q13330). | Check a positive control and the detection reagents, then review retrieval and antibody conditions as general IHC variables (general IHC practice). Record the cell type examined. |
| Broad brown haze masks cells or persists in the negative control (general IHC practice). | Nonspecific binding or endogenous detection activity may contribute to chromogenic background (general IHC practice). | Review blocking, antibody concentration, washes and the relevant negative control; address endogenous activity for the detection system used (general IHC practice). |
| Only extracellular or crisp cell-border staining is seen (HPA: tissue IHC pattern; UniProt Q13330 localization). | The distribution does not fit the reported nuclear and cytoplasmic pattern or the absence of a transmembrane segment (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt Q13330 topology). | Compare with known-positive cells and a negative control; reassess specificity before scoring those areas as MTA1 positive (general IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes or cardiomyocytes stain strongly (HPA: Not detected in these cell types). | Unexpected staining may reflect nonspecific binding or detection background (general IHC practice); HPA's cell-specific observation alone cannot identify the cause (HPA: tissue IHC). | Verify cell identity and examine the negative control and known-positive cells in the same run before interpreting the signal (general IHC practice). |
| A faint cytoplasmic component accompanies clear nuclear staining (HPA: nuclear and cytoplasmic tissue IHC). | Cytoplasmic localization is reported and need not be artefactual (UniProt Q13330; HPA: tissue IHC). | Score the nuclear and cytoplasmic components separately where boundaries are clear, and compare background against the negative control (general IHC practice). |
| Heart muscle gives a result that appears inconsistent across sources (UniProt Q13330: high expression in cardiac muscle; HPA: cardiomyocytes Not detected). | The supplied UniProt tissue statement and HPA cell-level IHC observation differ; neither establishes a fixation effect (UniProt Q13330; HPA: tissue IHC). | Report the observed cell type, compartment and controls, and state both reference findings when interpreting the result (UniProt Q13330; HPA: tissue IHC). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing MTA1 staining
PA1483 · IHCAnti-MTA1 antibody, PA1483, IHC(P) IHC(P): Human Rectal Cancer Tissue
PA1483 · IHCIHC analysis of MTA1 using anti-MTA1 antibody (PA1483). MTA1 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of rat ovary tissues. Heat mediated a
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000182979-MTA1/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_2153580
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000182979-MTA1/tissue/colon#imid_2153514
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000182979-MTA1/tissue/liver#imid_2153523
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000182979-MTA1/tissue/kidney#imid_2153508
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody CAB004508; green = MTA1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody CAB004508; green = MTA1, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for MTA1 IHC & IF
🧪Run cerebellum first and require staining in Purkinje cells (HPA: High in Purkinje cells). Use adipose tissue as the negative, with adipocytes lacking specific staining (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the cerebellar slide, cells without specific signal should show only background staining (standard IHC practice).
Positive control tissue: Cerebellum (Purkinje cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show MTA1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (enhanced) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control, an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host species and clonality, and MTA1-knockout tissue if available as a biological negative (standard IHC practice). For cerebellum, block endogenous peroxidase in chromogenic IHC and check for tissue autofluorescence if using IF (standard IHC/IF practice).
⚠️Feasibility: The supplied evidence reports no target-specific fixation window or fixation effect and does not establish retrieval dependence; optimize antigen retrieval empirically (supplied target/application evidence; standard IHC practice). Paraffin-section IHC is documented, but the selected PA1483 tissue-IHC caption does not report a fixative; the evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF/ICC would be easier (selected caption: IHC(P), fixative not stated; HPA: ICC-IF images). Cerebellar neuronal pigment may mimic chromogen or fluoresce, so compare suspicious signal with control sections (standard IHC/IF practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for MTA1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerebellum | Purkinje cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebral cortex | Neuronal cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Placenta | Hofbauer cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Testis | Leydig cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bronchus | Basal cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cervix | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Esophagus | Squamous epithelial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Heart muscle | Cardiomyocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Oral mucosa | Squamous epithelial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced MTA1 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot MTA1 staining in paraffin-section chromogenic IHC by checking retrieval, tissue processing, cellular compartments, and controls before interpreting intensity.
How should I troubleshoot weak MTA1 staining after antigen retrieval?
Begin PA1483 paraffin-section IHC with heat-mediated retrieval in citrate buffer at pH 6 (datasheet PA1483). Keep heating and cooling consistent across test and control sections, recording the actual cycle; a 10–20 minute heating trial is a practical starting range (standard IHC practice). If staining remains weak, adjust heating time while checking morphology, then consider another retrieval buffer only as a fallback (standard IHC practice). Assess nuclear and cytoplasmic signal separately, using a consistently processed reference section and a no-primary control to distinguish weak staining from background (UniProt Q13330 localization; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain inconsistent MTA1 staining between paraffin blocks?
MTA1-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown; the PA1483 rectal-cancer IHC(P) caption does not state its fixative (PA1483 caption). Compare blocks with recorded fixation times and similar tissue processing, then stain matched sections together using citrate retrieval at pH 6 (standard IHC practice; datasheet PA1483). If one block stains poorly, examine morphology and compare its nuclear and cytoplasmic signals with a reference processed in the same run (UniProt Q13330 localization; standard IHC practice). Document fixation delay, duration, and section thickness before assigning a signal difference to fixation, and confirm any suspected effect through a controlled comparison (standard IHC practice).
Does cytoplasmic MTA1 staining mean the IHC result is nonspecific?
MTA1 can occur in the nucleus, cytoplasm, nuclear envelope, and cytoskeleton, with microtubule association and TPR-dependent envelope localisation reported (UniProt Q13330 localization). Tissue IHC shows nuclear and cytoplasmic expression in most tissues, although agreement with RNA data has medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC). Score nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately against morphology and a no-primary control, rather than discarding all cytoplasmic signal (UniProt Q13330 localization; standard IHC practice). A diffuse extracellular deposit or signal confined to section edges warrants a background check because neither pattern follows the recorded cellular locations (UniProt Q13330 localization; standard IHC practice).
Can this stain distinguish MTA1 isoforms or modified epitopes?
MTA1 has 3 recorded isoforms, and the supplied PA1483 tissue-IHC caption does not identify the antibody epitope (UniProt Q13330 isoforms; PA1483 caption). Its BAH, ELM2, and SANT domains and documented phosphorylation sites provide sequence context, but staining alone cannot identify which isoform or modification was detected (UniProt Q13330 domains and modified residues; standard IHC interpretation). Check the antibody’s mapped immunogen or epitope before making isoform-specific claims, and compare independently targeted reagents only when their epitopes are known (standard IHC practice). Report the result as MTA1 immunoreactivity until isoform or modification specificity is established through direct validation (standard IHC practice).
How should I investigate MTA1 distribution with IF alongside paraffin IHC?
Use IF as a complementary localisation check: multiplex MTA1 with a marker identifying the cell population being assessed, while keeping the paraffin IHC interpretation anchored to its own controls (standard IF/IHC practice). MTA1 is mainly nucleoplasmic in subcellular IF data, with additional cytosolic localisation; tissue IHC also reports nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC). Choose a fluorophore channel away from prominent tissue autofluorescence and include single-stain and no-primary controls before interpreting overlap (standard IF practice). After fixation, optimise permeabilisation for access to the intracellular epitope, especially when assessing nuclear signal; MTA1 has no transmembrane segment, but the PA1483 epitope is unspecified (UniProt Q13330 topology; PA1483 caption; standard IF practice).
How can I separate MTA1 staining from chromogenic background?
Run a no-primary section and inspect stromal, nuclear, and cytoplasmic compartments under the same exposure and counterstain conditions (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase before DAB detection, and optimise protein blocking, primary-antibody concentration, and washes if diffuse staining persists (standard chromogenic IHC practice). Nuclear and cytoplasmic signal may both be genuine for MTA1, so judge background by cellular pattern and controls rather than by compartment alone (UniProt Q13330 localization; HPA tissue IHC). Edge deposits, staining over damaged areas, or colour appearing in the no-primary control should prompt a check of section handling, enzyme blocking, and detection reagents (standard IHC practice).
What scoring method best captures heterogeneous MTA1 IHC staining? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the target cell population and score viable cells separately for nuclear and cytoplasmic staining, since both compartments are reported for MTA1 (UniProt Q13330 localization; HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). An H-score combines intensity categories 0–3 with the percentage of cells in each category, giving a range of 0–300 (standard IHC scoring practice). Record percent-positive cells as a separate measure, or positive-cell density per mm² when cell counts per area answer the study question (standard IHC scoring practice). Normalise to the number of evaluable target cells or defined viable tissue area, and keep thresholds, compartment definitions, and staining batches consistent across specimens (standard IHC practice).
When is strong MTA1 IHC staining convincing rather than artefactual?
Look for reproducible cellular staining with assessable morphology and nuclear or cytoplasmic localisation, both of which are documented for MTA1 (UniProt Q13330 localization; HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Identify the stained cell type before comparing specimens: HPA reports high staining in Purkinje, neuronal, Hofbauer, and Leydig cells, while several other listed cell populations have no detected signal (HPA tissue IHC). Extracellular-only colour, section-edge accentuation, and staining over necrotic regions call for artefact checks, including a no-primary section and an endogenous-peroxidase control (UniProt Q13330 localization; standard IHC practice). Interpret intensity alongside matched processing and controls, because HPA labels its tissue-IHC evidence supported with medium staining-to-RNA consistency (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents
Best MTA1 / Metastasis-associated protein MTA1 IHC Antibodies
The catalog antibody PA1483 has IHC images from human rectal cancer and rat ovary tissue (catalog image captions). No IF/ICC image is supplied (catalog image data).
Real IHC data
Anti-MTA1 Antibody ®
Cat # PA1483
PA1483 is the only card and is listed for IHC and IHC-F in human, mouse, and rat (catalog applications/reactivity). Its images show human rectal cancer IHC(P) and rat ovary IHC(P) and IHC(F); no mouse tissue image is supplied (catalog image captions).
Which to pick: Choose PA1483 for paraffin-section IHC: its captions show human rectal cancer and rat ovary tissue, and the fixative is unreported (catalog image captions). No SKU is listed for IF/ICC, and no IF image or dilution is supplied, so there is no supported IF/ICC pick here (catalog applications; catalog IF data). For cross-species tissue IHC, PA1483 lists human, mouse, and rat reactivity, with images for human and rat; its host is rabbit and its clonality is unreported (catalog reactivity; catalog image captions; catalog host/clone).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q13330 (MTA1_HUMAN, Metastasis-associated protein MTA1).
- Human Protein Atlas. MTA1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
- Human Protein Atlas. MTA1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. MTA1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- The subcellular distribution and function of MTA1 in cancer differentiation. Oncotarget 2014 — PMC4148129.
- Localization and androgen regulation of metastasis-associated protein 1 in mouse epididymis. PloS one 2010 — PMC2972736.
- Prognostic relevance of prospero homeobox 1 and metastasis tumor antigen 1 in patients with malignant salivary gland tumors: a clinicopathological study. European journal of medical research 2025 — PMC12261658.
- Nuclear overexpression of metastasis-associated protein 1 correlates significantly with poor survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Journal of translational medicine 2012 — PMC3478212.
- PubMed PMID:8083195 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:7607577 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:12167865 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for MTA1 (Metastasis-associated protein MTA1). Expected localisation Nuclear and cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Citrate pH 6 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet PA1483). Validated IHC antibody: PA1483 at 0.5-1μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Cerebellum (Purkinje 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 PA1483); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat retrieval: Citrate pH 6 , 20 min (datasheet PA1483); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet PA1483); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-MTA1, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet PA1483); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet PA1483). Watch for: Fixation: Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image PA1483); Caveat: Staining and RNA expression have only medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 3 isoforms; epitope coverage is unreported (UniProt; datasheet PA1483); Regulation: Higher in tumors than adjacent tissue (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q13330, HPA tissue IHC · Supported, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the…, Datasheet PA1483, PMC4148129, PMC2972736. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/MTA1/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.