This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
- Table of Contents
NAA10 / N-alpha-acetyltransferase 10 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for NAA10
Plan NAA10 chromogenic IHC in FFPE sections around cytoplasmic staining that is most abundant in glandular epithelia (HPA tissue IHC). Use colon glandular cells as a positive reference and adipocytes as an undetected comparator (HPA tissue IHC), and check antibody coverage of the 2 annotated isoforms (UniProt).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
NAA10 Immunohistochemistry Experimental Design Guide
Expected localisation, validated protocols, controls and antibodies — the at-a-glance facts below, then the full design guide.
Must know before staining
| Expected localisation | Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear location annotated (UniProt) | |
| Staining pattern | Cytoplasmic staining, most abundant in glandular epithelia (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen) | |
| Positive control | Bone marrow+4 more · see all | |
| Negative control | Adipose tissue+3 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 A02890) | |
| Caveat | Medium RNA–IHC agreement limits intensity prediction (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | No target-specific inducer specified in the record (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; no extracellular domain; epitope coverage unknown (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended NAA10 IHC & IF Protocols
Compare the catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol with the published NAA10 IHC protocol (PMC11641810).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded rat lung tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A02890) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A02890); 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-NAA10, 1:50-1:200 (datasheet A02890) |
| 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 | NAA10-positive staining in hematopoietic cells of bone marrow (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in several tissue types, most abundant in glandular epithelia. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval); compare citrate pH 6.0 if needed (PMC11641810).
Section 2
What Is the Expected NAA10 Staining Pattern?
NAA10 staining should be predominantly cytoplasmic in several tissue types, especially glandular epithelia (HPA tissue IHC: Supported; medium staining–RNA consistency). UniProt also places NAA10 in the nucleus and reports no transmembrane segment (UniProt P41227). Assess staining in the identified cell population: colon and duodenal glandular cells are reported High, while adipocytes are Not detected (HPA tissue IHC).
| Clear cytoplasmic chromogen in glandular cells of colon or duodenum, with readable tissue structure. | This fits the reported High glandular-cell staining and predominantly cytoplasmic tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). Score the glandular cells separately from nearby cells; a positive field alone does not show that every cell type expresses NAA10 (HPA tissue IHC: cell-specific levels). |
| Signal appears mainly at cell borders or as a uniform extracellular deposit. | A dominant border or extracellular pattern is discordant with the reported cytoplasmic distribution (HPA tissue IHC) and lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt P41227). Review section morphology and detection controls before assigning it to NAA10; those locations alone do not establish target expression. |
| Adipocytes stain as strongly as adjacent expected-positive cells. | Adipocytes are reported Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Strong staining there raises concern for cross-reactivity or detection background, including endogenous activity if an enzyme-based system is used (standard IHC practice). Treat the discrepancy as a control finding, not proof that the tissue lacks all NAA10. |
| Pale, widespread color obscures the difference between cells and surrounding tissue. | Diffuse background cannot be scored reliably as cytoplasmic NAA10. Compare the pattern with cell-specific High and Not detected findings (HPA tissue IHC), then examine blocking, washes, and detection controls for nonspecific color (standard IHC practice). |
| No interpretable signal appears in a correctly identified positive cell population. | Absence in colon glandular cells or cerebellar Purkinje cells conflicts with their reported High staining (HPA tissue IHC), but does not alone show biological loss. First check the section, antibody, retrieval, and detection run using appropriate controls (standard IHC practice). |
💡Expected NAA10 appearanceCall a result positive when defined cells, such as colon glandular cells, show clear, predominantly cytoplasmic staining at the reported High level (HPA tissue IHC); uniform background or dominant cell-border color is suspect against that pattern (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P41227 topology).
| Cell population and tissue | NAA10 is described as ubiquitous at the tissue level (UniProt P41227), yet HPA reports cell-specific contrasts: glandular cells in colon and duodenum are High, while adipocytes and cardiomyocytes are Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Select and score controls by cell type, not by tissue name alone. |
| Compartment and topology | Cytoplasm and nucleus are listed locations, including free cytosolic and cytoskeleton-bound polysomes (UniProt P41227). Tissue IHC emphasizes cytoplasmic expression (HPA tissue IHC). Some nuclear signal therefore needs context; a dominant membrane pattern has no support from the reported lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt P41227). |
| Isoforms and protein processing | Two isoforms are listed, with no signal peptide or propeptide and a chain spanning residues 1–235 (UniProt P41227). The supplied sources give no antibody epitope or isoform-specific tissue pattern. Do not attribute differing IHC intensity to one isoform or to cleavage on this evidence. |
| Strength of pattern evidence | The tissue profile is Supported, with medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC). Both listed antibodies, HPA030711 and CAB006269, carry IHC Supported status (HPA antibodies). These labels support the reported pattern but do not validate every unexpected compartment or cell type. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Colon glandular cells show no chromogen. | They are reported High (HPA tissue IHC); a failed run, unsuitable retrieval, or detection problem is possible (standard IHC practice). Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unreported in the supplied UniProt and HPA records. | Verify the glandular cells and a positive control, then review the IHC-P antibody instructions, retrieval conditions, and detection reagents (standard IHC practice). |
| The entire section has diffuse brown color. | Uniform color can reflect nonspecific reagent binding or endogenous detection activity in an enzyme-based assay (standard IHC practice). It does not match the cell-resolved cytoplasmic profile (HPA tissue IHC). | Inspect the no-primary control and review blocking, washes, and chromogen development before scoring individual cells (standard IHC practice). |
| Staining is confined to nuclei, with little cytoplasmic signal. | Nuclear location is listed (UniProt P41227), but predominantly cytoplasmic tissue staining is reported (HPA tissue IHC); the dominant pattern is therefore discordant, not automatically false. | Confirm nuclear boundaries with the counterstain and compare a known-positive section and detection control before interpreting a nuclear-only result (standard IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes show strong staining. | Adipocytes are reported Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or background is plausible, especially when unrelated areas stain similarly (standard IHC practice). | Check cell identity, compare adjacent expected-positive cells, and examine a no-primary control before calling the adipocyte signal specific (standard IHC practice). |
| Positive and reported-negative cell populations stain equally. | Equal staining obscures the reported High versus Not detected contrasts (HPA tissue IHC) and may indicate excessive background or detection activity (standard IHC practice). | Score identified populations separately; review control sections and detection conditions, then repeat the IHC run if the contrast remains unreadable (standard IHC practice). |
| IF/ICC question: Is a nucleolar signal compatible with NAA10? | Yes. Cytosol is the supported main ICC-IF location, and nucleoli are an approved additional location (HPA subcellular). | Interpret nucleolar signal alongside the cytosolic pattern and appropriate IF controls (HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Use the separate IF/ICC guide for assay setup. |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing NAA10 staining
A02890 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded rat lung using NAA10 antibody at dilution of 1:100 .Perform microwave antigen retrieval with 10 mM
A02890 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded human breast cancer using NAA10 antibody at dilution of 1:100 .Perform microwave antigen retrieval
M02890 · IFImmunofluorescent analysis of 4% paraformaldehyde-fixed, 0.1% Triton X-100 permeabilized U-2 OS (human osteosarcoma cell line) cells labelin
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000102030-NAA10/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_11237175
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000102030-NAA10/tissue/colon#imid_11237109
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000102030-NAA10/tissue/liver#imid_11237102
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000102030-NAA10/tissue/kidney#imid_11237095
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA030711; green = NAA10, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA030711; green = NAA10, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for NAA10 IHC & IF
🧪Run colon first: its glandular cells should stain (HPA: High in colon glandular cells). Use skeletal muscle myocytes as the negative comparison (HPA: Not detected in skeletal muscle myocytes); on the colon slide, adjacent nonglandular cells qualify as internal negatives only if they show counterstain without specific chromogen, because their NAA10 status is not supplied (HPA: colon glandular cells High).
Positive control tissue: Bone marrow (Hematopoietic cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show NAA10 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (supported) (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 NAA10 knockout material or validated peptide competition for specificity (standard IHC practice). Quench endogenous peroxidase and inspect background in blood and inflammatory cells on the colon section (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the fixative in the selected A02890 rat-lung paraffin caption is unreported (selected tissue-IHC caption: A02890). That caption uses microwave retrieval in 10 mM PBS at pH 7.2, which provides a starting condition without establishing retrieval dependence in colon (selected tissue-IHC caption: A02890). Whether frozen sections or IF are easier is unreported; blood and inflammatory cells in colon can contribute peroxidase background that needs control (standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for NAA10
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebellum | Purkinje cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Colon | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Duodenum | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Endometrium | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Heart muscle | Cardiomyocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Liver | Cholangiocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Skeletal muscle | Myocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced NAA10 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot NAA10 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell type, and controls before interpreting chromogenic signal.
What should I change when NAA10 staining is weak after antigen retrieval?
Start with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 heat-induced epitope retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). Let sections cool consistently, then compare staining with a positive control section processed in the same run (standard IHC practice). If staining remains weak, test microwave retrieval in 10 mM PBS at pH 7.2 as a fallback; that condition accompanies the 1:100 rat lung image for SKU A02890 (A02890 tissue-IHC caption). Keep antibody concentration and detection conditions constant during this comparison so any change can be attributed to retrieval (standard IHC practice). Score cytoplasmic signal in suitable cells rather than treating stronger background as improved retrieval (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
How can I assess whether fixation is causing weak or uneven NAA10 IHC staining?
NAA10-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown because no target-specific fixation condition is supplied (A02890 tissue-IHC caption: fixative not stated). Record the fixative, duration, tissue thickness, and time before fixation for each section, then compare cases processed under matched conditions (standard IHC practice). Examine staining across the section for gradients or loss near poorly preserved regions, using a concurrently processed positive control to distinguish handling variation from assay failure (standard IHC practice). If fixation history differs, compare those groups separately before changing antibody dilution or retrieval (standard IHC practice). The paraffin-embedded rat lung caption supports a retrieval and dilution example, but does not establish an optimal fixative (A02890 tissue-IHC caption).
Should NAA10 staining be cytoplasmic, nuclear, or both in paraffin sections?
Expect prominent cytoplasmic staining across several tissue types, especially glandular epithelia, in the reference tissue IHC pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Cytoplasmic and nuclear localisation are both recorded for NAA10, with free cytosolic and cytoskeleton-bound polysome pools also described (UniProt P41227 subcellular location). A mostly cytosolic signal with additional nucleolar signal is reported by cell-based imaging, but that pattern is supporting context rather than a required tissue-IHC pattern (HPA subcellular). Check whether the suspected nuclear signal aligns with nuclei on the counterstain and persists across comparable cells (standard IHC practice). Investigate diffuse staining over all compartments or tissue edges before assigning it to NAA10 (standard IHC practice).
Could an epitope or isoform difference explain discordant NAA10 staining?
NAA10 has 2 recorded isoforms, and its N-acetyltransferase domain spans residues 1–152 (UniProt P41227 isoforms and domains). The record also lists modifications including acetylation at residue 136 and phosphorylation at residues 182, 186, and 205 (UniProt P41227 modified residues). These features identify possible sources of epitope dependence, but their effects on this antibody are unknown without its mapped immunogen and validation data (UniProt P41227; standard antibody-validation practice). Check the catalog antibody's stated immunogen against the isoforms under study, then compare staining with an independent antibody targeting another region if available (standard antibody-validation practice). Keep retrieval and scoring matched across that comparison (standard IHC practice).
How should I use IF to investigate a disputed NAA10 IHC pattern?
Use IF as a complementary localisation check: NAA10 is mainly cytosolic with additional nucleolar localisation in cell-based imaging (HPA subcellular). For tissue multiplexing, pair NAA10 with a marker identifying the expected glandular epithelial cells where tissue IHC reports abundant signal (HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and inspect an unstained section for autofluorescence; a red or far-red channel may improve separation from shorter-wavelength background (standard IF practice). Because NAA10 is intracellular and has no transmembrane segment, assess mild permeabilisation for access to cytosolic and nuclear epitopes (UniProt P41227 topology and subcellular location; standard IF practice). Interpret overlap with cell boundaries and nuclei using matched single-stain controls (standard IF practice).
How can I separate NAA10 staining from diffuse chromogenic background?
Compare a no-primary control and a positive control on sections developed together to identify background from detection reagents (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase before DAB detection, and titrate the primary antibody if diffuse brown staining persists; these are general chromogenic IHC steps (standard IHC practice). For SKU A02890, 1:100 was used in a paraffin-embedded rat lung image, but that caption does not establish an optimal dilution for every sample (A02890 tissue-IHC caption). Examine whether staining follows cells and their cytoplasm rather than folds, precipitate, or section edges (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Keep DAB development time matched between controls and test sections when comparing background (standard IHC practice).
What is a defensible way to quantify NAA10 staining across sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and region before scoring, because NAA10 tissue IHC varies by cell type and shows strong glandular epithelial staining (HPA tissue IHC). For a compartment-specific readout, record the percentage of positive eligible cells and an H-score from 0–300 using intensity categories 0–3 (standard IHC scoring practice). If counting positive cells per mm², divide by analysed viable tissue area and also report the fraction of eligible cells so differences in cellularity are visible (standard image-analysis practice). Keep thresholds, counterstaining, and DAB development consistent across slides (standard IHC practice). Score cytoplasm and nuclei separately when both are present, then report the control range (UniProt P41227 subcellular location; standard IHC practice).
When should an apparent NAA10-positive region be treated as an artefact?
Check whether signal sits in viable cells with a plausible cytoplasmic pattern; tissue IHC reports cytoplasmic expression and high staining in several glandular cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). Nuclear staining can be biologically plausible, but an isolated, uniformly brown nuclear field needs confirmation against controls and morphology (UniProt P41227 subcellular location; standard IHC practice). Treat staining restricted to cut edges, folds, necrotic regions, or areas positive in a no-primary control as suspect (standard IHC practice). Endogenous peroxidase can produce chromogenic signal, so assess the peroxidase-blocked control before assigning DAB deposits to NAA10 (standard IHC practice). Reconcile unexpected cell types with the reference pattern while allowing tissue-specific variation (HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents
Best NAA10 / N-alpha-acetyltransferase 10 IHC Antibodies
The catalog shows NAA10 IHC images from paraffin-embedded human and rat tissues, plus an IF image from human U-2 OS cells (catalog: A02890 IHC image captions; M02890 IF image caption).
Real IHC data
Anti-N-alpha-acetyltransferase 10 NAA10 Antibody
Cat # A02890
Real IF data
Anti-NAA10 Antibody (Center)
Cat # M02890
A02890 lists IHC and ICC/IF, with IHC images from paraffin-embedded rat lung, human breast cancer and human stomach (catalog: A02890 applications and IHC image captions). M02890 lists IF and shows staining in paraformaldehyde-fixed U-2 OS cells (catalog: M02890 applications and IF image caption).
Which to pick: Choose A02890 for tissue IHC: its paraffin-section images use 1:100 and microwave retrieval in 10 mM PBS, pH 7.2; the tissue fixative is unreported (catalog: A02890 IHC image captions). For human-cell IF, M02890 has an image from 4% paraformaldehyde-fixed, 0.1% Triton X-100-permeabilized U-2 OS cells; its application list includes IF (catalog: M02890 IF image caption and applications). For ICC or cross-species work, A02890 is the listed choice: this polyclonal antibody includes ICC/IF and Human, Mouse and Rat reactivity, while polyclonal M02890 lists IF and Human reactivity (catalog: A02890 and M02890 applications, reactivity and dilution_raw).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P41227 (NAA10_HUMAN, N-alpha-acetyltransferase 10).
- Human Protein Atlas. NAA10 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Supported).
- Human Protein Atlas. NAA10 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the cytosol. In addition localized to the nucleoli..
- Human Protein Atlas. NAA10 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Exploring Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Mechanical Asphyxia in the Heart Based on Proteomics Technology. International journal of molecular sciences 2024 — PMC11641810.
- UBE2M promotes malignant phenotypes of prostate cancer through mediating NAA10 neddylation. Journal of translational medicine 2026 — PMC13123242.
- PubMed PMID:7981673 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15496142 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15772651 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for NAA10 (N-alpha-acetyltransferase 10). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear location annotated (UniProt). Antigen retrieval: Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen). Validated IHC antibody: A02890 at 1:50-1:200 (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Bone marrow (Hematopoietic cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded rat lung tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A02890); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A02890); 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-NAA10, 1:50-1:200 (datasheet A02890); 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 A02890); Caveat: Medium RNA–IHC agreement limits intensity prediction (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; no extracellular domain; epitope coverage unknown (UniProt); Regulation: No target-specific inducer specified in the record (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt P41227, HPA tissue IHC · Supported, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the cytosol. In addition localized to the…, Datasheet A02890, PMC11641810. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/NAA10/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.