NCOA7 / Nuclear receptor coactivator 7 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for NCOA7

Use cervical squamous epithelium as a high-staining reference for NCOA7 paraffin-section IHC (HPA tissue IHC). Compare nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC) with matched controls (standard IHC practice), and check epitope coverage across 7 isoforms (UniProt).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for NCOA7 (IHC for NCOA7): expected localisation Nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A05814-1, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable NCOA7 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC), antibody A05814-1, controls and protocol steps. Open the full NCOA7 IHC guide →

NCOA7 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 (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Nuclear and cytoplasmic signal in CNS, squamous cells and nerves (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Tris-EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A05814-1)
Positive control ⓘ Cervix+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 A05814-1)
Caveat Staining and RNA show low consistency; validate specificity (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Estradiol promotes nuclear localization (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 7 isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended NCOA7 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody uses heat-mediated Tris-EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (datasheet A05814-1). The published paraffin-section IHC protocols below cover breast and oral cancer tissue (PMC11063752; PMC12819905; PMC5312364).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded Human brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A05814-1)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A05814-1); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: Tris-EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A05814-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-NCOA7, 1:100-1:300 (datasheet A05814-1)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (standard)
DetectionHRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultNCOA7-positive staining in squamous epithelial cells of cervix (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Nuclear and cytoplasmic expression in several cell types, mainly in the CNS, squamous epithelia and peripheral nerves. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with Tris-EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval (datasheet A05814-1); compare citrate pH 6.0 (PMC11063752) or microwave EDTA retrieval (PMC5312364) during optimization.
Section 2

What Is the Expected NCOA7 Staining Pattern?

NCOA7 should show nuclear and cytoplasmic IHC staining in selected cell types, especially CNS cells and squamous epithelia (HPA tissue IHC). Nucleoplasm and nuclear bodies are the main ICC/IF locations, with additional Golgi staining (HPA subcellular ICC/IF). NCOA7 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q8NI08 topology). Interpret tissue staining cautiously: HPA rates it Approved but reports low consistency with RNA data and pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Nuclear and cytoplasmic signal in cervical squamous epithelial cells, with stronger staining than nearby unstained cells.This fits a positive IHC result: HPA reports High staining in cervical squamous epithelial cells and a nuclear and cytoplasmic tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). Judge the cell type and compartment together; intensity alone does not establish specificity (general IHC practice).
Signal is confined to cell borders or extracellular material, with no convincing nuclear or cytoplasmic staining.This is a compartment mismatch with the reported tissue profile (HPA tissue IHC). NCOA7 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q8NI08 topology). Check morphology and controls before calling it positive; the pattern may reflect staining artefact (general IHC practice).
Strong staining appears chiefly in adipocytes or bone marrow hematopoietic cells.HPA reports NCOA7 as Not detected in those cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity, and compare an appropriate negative control before assigning the signal to NCOA7 (general IHC practice).
Weak colour spreads across cells and tissue spaces without clear cellular boundaries.Diffuse background does not establish NCOA7 localisation (general IHC practice). Assess blocking, washes and detection controls; a true call should resolve to plausible cells and nuclear or cytoplasmic compartments (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
Cervical squamous epithelial cells show no detectable signal.That conflicts with HPA's High staining report for those cells (HPA tissue IHC). Check the antibody's IHC-P instructions and control performance before interpreting the specimen as negative; HPA also flags low RNA–staining consistency (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
💡Expected NCOA7 appearanceCall an IHC result positive when selected cells show discernible nuclear and cytoplasmic staining—potentially High in cervical squamous epithelium (HPA tissue IHC); border-only or diffuse, cell-unresolved colour is suspect (UniProt Q8NI08 topology; general IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell type and tissueHPA reports High cervical squamous staining; Medium Purkinje, cortical neuronal, esophageal squamous, gallbladder glandular and skin keratinocyte staining; and Low soft-tissue fibroblast staining (HPA tissue IHC). Select and score the actual cell population, rather than averaging a whole section (general IHC practice).
Nuclear distributionNCOA7 is nuclear and cytoplasmic without estradiol and predominantly nuclear after estradiol stimulation (UniProt Q8NI08, PubMed:17391516). Hormone context may therefore inform a compartment comparison; the supplied HPA tissue data do not establish treatment-specific IHC intensity (HPA tissue IHC).
Golgi localisationUniProt lists Rab-dependent recruitment to cis- and trans-Golgi network membranes by similarity (UniProt Q8NI08). HPA additionally approves Golgi localisation in ICC/IF (HPA subcellular ICC/IF). A Golgi-like pattern can be plausible, but it is not a required tissue IHC finding.
Isoforms and antibody coverageUniProt lists 7 NCOA7 isoforms (UniProt Q8NI08). The payload supplies no antibody epitope or isoform coverage, so a negative stain cannot identify which isoform is absent; consult the selected antibody's documented specificity before making that inference (general IHC practice).
Evidence strengthHPA calls its tissue IHC reliability Approved while noting low agreement with RNA expression and pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC). Four listed antibodies have Approved IHC status; the supplied status alone does not validate every specimen or unexpected cell pattern (HPA antibodies; general IHC practice).
ICC/IF Q&AWhat should ICC/IF show? Mainly nucleoplasm and nuclear bodies, with additional Golgi staining (HPA subcellular ICC/IF). That compartment evidence helps interpret localisation; it does not specify an IHC-P staining protocol (HPA subcellular ICC/IF).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
No stain in a cervical squamous epithelial positive control.The expected High cell-level signal is absent (HPA tissue IHC); the failed step cannot be identified from the supplied evidence.Confirm the correct cells are present, then review the IHC-validated antibody's documented IHC-P conditions, retrieval, dilution and detection controls (general IHC practice). Do not infer NCOA7-specific fixation sensitivity; none is supplied.
Only a few cells stain in a tissue expected to be positive.NCOA7 staining is cell-type dependent; HPA reports different levels even among listed positive populations (HPA tissue IHC).Identify and score the named cell population—for example, Purkinje cells in cerebellum—against its reported Medium level, rather than treating the whole tissue as uniformly positive (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
Adipocytes or marrow hematopoietic cells stain strongly.Both are reported Not detected (HPA tissue IHC); cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic detection activity is possible (general IHC practice).Compare a detection-only negative control, check endogenous activity blocking and inspect the cell morphology; require concordant localisation before reporting NCOA7 (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC).
Background obscures nuclei and cell boundaries.Non-specific antibody binding or detection background can obscure a cellular IHC pattern (general IHC practice).Review blocking, antibody dilution, washes and the negative control using the antibody's documented IHC-P conditions; score only resolved cellular staining (general IHC practice).
Signal appears exclusively along cell membranes.A border-only pattern conflicts with HPA's nuclear and cytoplasmic tissue profile and is not explained by a transmembrane segment (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8NI08 topology).Recheck the compartment under adequate magnification and compare controls; treat the border-only result as unconfirmed rather than assigning it to NCOA7 (general IHC practice).
A novel tissue pattern differs from the HPA example.HPA reports low RNA–staining consistency and pending external verification despite an Approved tissue rating (HPA tissue IHC).Record cell type, compartment and intensity, and seek independent antibody or orthogonal evidence before making a firm biological claim (general IHC practice).

Sample controls for NCOA7 IHC & IF

🧪Run cervix first and look for staining in its squamous epithelial cells (HPA: High in cervix squamous epithelial cells). Use adipose tissue adipocytes as the negative comparison (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the cervix slide, assess other cell types for background, but do not assume they are NCOA7-negative because their staining is not specified in the supplied HPA row.
Positive control tissue: Cervix (Squamous epithelial cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show NCOA7 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (approved), Nuclear bodies (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host species and clonality (standard IHC practice). Use a knockout specimen if available or a peptide-block control as a biological specificity check (selected-SKU caption: immunogen-peptide pre-absorption); block endogenous peroxidase for chromogenic detection and assess tissue background (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected-SKU paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative not stated). The caption reports high-pressure, heated Tris-EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 for human brain at 1:100 overnight at 4°C, but does not establish that retrieval is required for cervix (selected-SKU caption). Frozen sections and IF cannot be judged easier from the supplied evidence; the relevant cervix artefact to check is endogenous peroxidase background during chromogenic IHC (standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for NCOA7

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — Low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Pending external verification.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.

Positive expression · recommended positive controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Cervix Squamous epithelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Purkinje cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Neuronal cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Esophagus Squamous epithelial cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Gallbladder Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Appendix Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Duodenum Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced NCOA7 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot NCOA7 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell identity, and controls before interpreting chromogenic signal.

How should I optimize retrieval when NCOA7 staining is weak in paraffin sections?
Use heat-mediated Tris-EDTA at pH 8.0 for antigen retrieval in paraffin sections (datasheet A05814-1). The selected brain image used high-pressure, high-temperature retrieval with that buffer and antibody at 1:100 overnight at 4°C (caption A05814-1). On adjacent sections, vary retrieval duration while holding antibody dilution and chromogen development constant, then compare both staining and tissue morphology (standard IHC practice). If staining remains weak, test citrate at pH 6.0 as a fallback on matched sections (standard IHC practice). Include the peptide-preabsorbed control when comparing conditions to identify nonspecific staining (caption A05814-1; standard IHC practice).
Can I adjust fixation to recover weak NCOA7 staining?
The selected paraffin brain caption does not report its fixative, so NCOA7-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown (caption A05814-1). Record the fixative, fixation duration, processing schedule, and section age for each specimen before attributing weak staining to fixation (standard IHC practice). Compare adjacent sections from the same block with heat-mediated Tris-EDTA at pH 8.0 and a constant antibody dilution to assess retrieval reproducibly (datasheet A05814-1; standard IHC practice). If specimen handling differs, process a documented reference section in the same run and compare staining with tissue preservation (standard IHC practice). Avoid treating any improvement after retrieval as proof of a particular NCOA7 fixation effect (standard IHC practice).
Should I score nuclear, cytoplasmic, or Golgi-like NCOA7 staining?
Score nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately because both localisations are reported for NCOA7 (UniProt Q8NI08). Nucleoplasm and nuclear bodies are the main approved subcellular locations, with Golgi staining also reported (HPA subcellular). Estradiol stimulation can shift NCOA7 toward predominantly nuclear localisation, so document treatment conditions before comparing nuclear fractions across specimens (UniProt Q8NI08; PubMed:17391516). Assess Golgi-like staining as a distinct intracellular pattern rather than combining it with diffuse cytoplasmic signal (HPA subcellular; standard IHC practice). In chromogenic sections, use cell morphology and a consistent counterstain to assign compartments, and flag patterns that cannot be resolved confidently (standard IHC practice).
Could isoforms or epitope accessibility explain different staining patterns?
NCOA7 has 7 listed isoforms, so an antibody's recognised sequence matters when comparing staining across specimens (UniProt Q8NI08). The supplied caption does not identify the recognised epitope; therefore, it cannot establish which isoforms the catalog antibody detects (caption A05814-1; UniProt Q8NI08). The protein includes a LysM region at residues 114–157 and a TLDc region at 781–942, and listed modifications include phosphorylation (UniProt Q8NI08). Those features do not establish an epitope effect for this antibody (UniProt Q8NI08; caption A05814-1). Obtain the immunogen sequence if available, map it against isoforms, and compare retrieval conditions using matched sections before interpreting discordant staining (standard IHC practice).
How should I investigate NCOA7 localisation by multiplex IF?
Use the separate IF/ICC guide for the fluorescence workflow; this page's catalog evidence documents paraffin-section IHC (caption A05814-1). Multiplex NCOA7 with an independently validated marker for an expected cell type, such as Purkinje cells, and check that signals occupy the same cells (HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Choose a far-red fluorophore when tissue autofluorescence obscures shorter wavelengths, and include single-channel controls to assess bleed-through (standard IF practice). NCOA7 has no transmembrane segment and has reported nuclear, cytoplasmic, and Golgi locations; select permeabilisation for the intracellular epitope being tested (UniProt Q8NI08; standard IF practice). Because that epitope is unspecified here, verify its accessibility experimentally (caption A05814-1; standard IF practice).
What controls help distinguish NCOA7 staining from chromogenic background?
Run a no-primary control to reveal secondary-reagent or detection background, and block endogenous peroxidase before DAB development (standard IHC practice). The selected brain image includes a peptide-preabsorbed antibody control, which can test whether staining depends on the immunogen-binding activity (caption A05814-1). Compare these controls with sections stained at the documented 1:100 dilution after Tris-EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (caption A05814-1; datasheet A05814-1). If diffuse chromogen obscures nuclei, shorten development or reduce antibody concentration while keeping matched controls in the run (standard IHC practice). Record counterstain strength and inspect tissue edges separately, since both can complicate compartment scoring (standard IHC practice).
How can I quantify NCOA7 without conflating cell abundance and staining intensity? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the tissue compartment and viable cell population before scoring, then use the same region-selection rules across sections (standard IHC practice). Report nuclear and cytoplasmic NCOA7 separately because both locations are documented, and keep Golgi-like puncta as a separate observation when resolvable (UniProt Q8NI08; HPA subcellular). For each compartment, record percent positive cells and intensity, or calculate an H-score on the 0–300 scale (standard IHC practice). Normalize counts to the number of eligible cells or positive-cell density to measured tissue area in mm², and report the denominator (standard IHC practice). Exclude necrotic and poorly preserved regions using rules set before scoring (standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent NCOA7-positive signal likely to be artefactual?
Interpret staining in its cellular context: nuclear and cytoplasmic expression is reported in several cell types, particularly within the CNS and squamous epithelia (HPA tissue IHC). An isolated extracellular deposit or signal confined to tissue edges deserves review against matched controls rather than immediate assignment to NCOA7 (standard IHC practice). Check necrotic areas and no-primary sections for chromogen deposition from tissue damage or endogenous enzyme activity (standard IHC practice). Compare the candidate positive cells with the expected morphology and, where appropriate, the peptide-preabsorbed control shown for the catalog antibody (HPA tissue IHC; caption A05814-1). Treat unexpected compartment or cell-type staining cautiously because tissue IHC reliability is approved with low RNA–protein consistency and pending external verification (HPA tissue IHC).
Boster reagents

Best NCOA7 / Nuclear receptor coactivator 7 IHC Antibodies

Two rabbit polyclonal anti-NCOA7 antibodies have human brain IHC images (catalog captions); both list human and mouse reactivity (catalog). One also lists IF, without an IF image (catalog: A05814-1).

Real IHC data Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded Human brain. Antibody was diluted at 1:100 (4° overnight). High-pressure and temperature Tris-EDTA, pH8.0 was used for antigen retrieval. Negetive contrl (right) obtaned from antibody was pre-absorbed by immunogen peptide.
Anti-NCoA-7 Antibody
Cat # A05814-1
Real IHC data Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human brain tissue reacted with NCOA7 Antibody (N-term), which was peroxidase-conjugated to the secondary antibody, followed by DAB staining. This data demonstrates the use of this antibody for immunohistochemistry; clinical relevance has not been evaluated.
Anti-NCOA7 Antibody (N-term)
Cat # A05814-2

A05814-1 has a human brain paraffin-section IHC image and lists IF, IHC, and human/mouse reactivity (catalog: A05814-1 caption and applications). A05814-2 has a formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human brain IHC image and lists IHC-P and human/mouse reactivity (catalog: A05814-2 caption and applications).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A05814-2 when paraffin-section paraffin sections match your sample; its own image documents that preparation and DAB detection (catalog: A05814-2 caption). For IF, choose A05814-1 because IF is listed at 1:50, while A05814-2 does not list IF; ICC performance is unreported (catalog: applications and dilutions). Both are rabbit polyclonals with listed human/mouse reactivity, but their IHC images show human brain only; A05814-1’s paraffin-section caption does not report the fixative (catalog: dilution_raw, reactivity, and captions). The selected A05814-1 tissue-IHC caption documents paraffin sections, but does not specify the fixative (selected-SKU IHC image A05814-1).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q8NI08 (NCOA7_HUMAN, Nuclear receptor coactivator 7).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. NCOA7 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. NCOA7 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm and nuclear bodies. In addition localized to the Golgi apparatus..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. NCOA7 antibody validation summary (4 antibodies).
  5. Expression of nuclear receptor co‑activator 7 protein is associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer. Oncology letters 2024 — PMC11063752.
  6. NCOA7 promotes OSCC progression by inhibiting ROS-regulated ferroptosis. Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS 2026 — PMC12819905.
  7. MALDI imaging reveals NCOA7 as a potential biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma arising from oral submucous fibrosis. Oncotarget 2016 — PMC5312364.
  8. Mapping the H(+) (V)-ATPase interactome: identification of proteins involved in trafficking, folding, assembly and phosphorylation. Scientific reports 2015 — PMC4595830.
  9. PubMed PMID:11971969 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:25330068 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:12880961 — UniProt-cited evidence.