NFKB1 / Nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p105 subunit · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for NFKB1

Plan NFKB1 staining in paraffin sections using the observed cytoplasmic and occasional nuclear tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Choose controls and interpret nuclear staining in light of activation-dependent translocation and p105 processing to p50 (UniProt).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for NFKB1 (IHC for NFKB1): expected localisation General cytoplasmic staining; nuclear in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M00283-2, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable NFKB1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation General cytoplasmic staining; nuclear in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M00283-2, controls and protocol steps. Open the full NFKB1 IHC guide →

NFKB1 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 General cytoplasmic staining; nuclear in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern High in lung macrophages; cytoplasmic generally, nuclear in some tissues (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+4 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Keep fixation consistent across sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat A shared epitope may detect both p105 and p50 (UniProt)
Regulation Activation promotes nuclear translocation (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 3 isoforms; p50 spans aa 1–433, so epitope position matters (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended NFKB1 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is accompanied by three published NFKB1 IHC protocols (PMC11618553; PMC4574027; PMC4724081).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded H. spleen tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M00283-2)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M00283-2); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: nuclear antigen)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard)
Primary antibodyMouse monoclonal (clone 1298CT792.105.117.133) anti-NFKB1, 1:25 (datasheet M00283-2)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (standard)
DetectionHRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultNFKB1-positive staining in hematopoietic cells of bone marrow (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: General cytoplasmic expression. Additional nuclear expression in several tissues. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page antigen-retrieval rule); compare the published retrieval conditions during optimization (PMC11618553; PMC4724081).
Section 2

What Is the Expected NFKB1 Staining Pattern?

NFKB1 staining in paraffin sections is generally cytoplasmic, with additional nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC: Enhanced; medium agreement with RNA). Strong examples include lung macrophages, lymph node and tonsil germinal center cells, and bone marrow hematopoietic cells (HPA tissue IHC: High). Cytoplasmic retention and stimulus-dependent nuclear translocation are consistent with NFKB1 biology (UniProt P19838); NFKB1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P19838 topology).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in lung macrophages or germinal center cells, with nuclear staining in some cells (HPA tissue IHC).This fits the tissue IHC profile: general cytoplasmic expression with additional nuclear expression in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC). Score nuclear and cytoplasmic signal separately; a nuclear-positive cell need not indicate that every neighboring cell has activated NF-κB (UniProt P19838 function).
A strong, sharply membranous or extracellular deposit dominates the section.That compartment is unsupported for NFKB1: UniProt places it in cytoplasm and nucleus and lists no transmembrane segment (UniProt P19838). Check whether the deposit follows tissue edges or other nonspecific structures before assigning it to NFKB1 (general IHC practice).
Strong, widespread staining appears in adipocytes or cardiomyocytes.Those cells are listed as not detected in the sampled tissues (HPA tissue IHC: adipocytes; cardiomyocytes). Treat unexpected staining as a specificity or endogenous detection activity question, especially if it persists in a no-primary control (general IHC practice); the HPA result is a reference pattern, not proof that every specimen must be negative.
A diffuse haze covers positive cells, negative cells, and surrounding tissue.A uniform haze obscures the cell and compartment pattern expected from HPA tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC: general cytoplasmic, additional nuclear). Compare a no-primary control and review detection background, blocking, and wash conditions (general IHC practice); haze alone cannot establish NFKB1 expression.
No staining is visible in an otherwise interpretable lung macrophage or tonsil germinal center cell area.These are high-staining reference cells (HPA tissue IHC: High). First confirm that the expected cell population is present, then inspect a run control and the antibody's IHC-P conditions (general IHC practice). A blank section alone cannot distinguish low specimen expression from a failed assay.
💡Expected NFKB1 appearanceCall a result positive when identifiable high-reference cells show distinct cytoplasmic staining, with possible nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC: High examples; general cytoplasmic profile); strong membrane-only deposits or uniform haze are unsupported patterns (UniProt P19838 topology; general IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell and tissue contextHPA reports High staining in lung macrophages, bone marrow hematopoietic cells, and lymph node or tonsil germinal center cells, but Not detected in adipocytes and cardiomyocytes (HPA tissue IHC). Compare like cell populations when choosing controls; tissue-wide intensity alone can conceal mixed populations (general IHC practice).
p105 processing and antibody epitopeNFKB1 yields full-length p105 and processed p50; p50 comprises residues 1–433, while p105 extends to residue 968 (UniProt P19838). If the catalog antibody's epitope is known, check whether it lies in the shared region before interpreting staining as p50-specific or p105-specific; the supplied record gives no antibody epitope.
Validation and interpretation limitHPA lists two rabbit polyclonal antibodies with Enhanced IHC validation, HPA027305 and CAB004031 (HPA antibodies). Its tissue profile has medium agreement with RNA (HPA tissue IHC). These support a reference pattern but do not identify the molecular form or prove pathway activation in an individual cell (UniProt P19838 function).
IF/ICC Q&A: where should signal appear?HPA ICC-IF places NFKB1 mainly in the nucleoplasm, with additional cytosol (HPA subcellular: supported). This is an IF/ICC localisation reference; for paraffin IHC, use the separate HPA tissue profile of general cytoplasmic staining with additional nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC).
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Known high-reference cells are blank (HPA tissue IHC: High examples).The expected cells may be absent from the section, or the staining run may have failed (general IHC practice).Verify cell identity on the counterstain and check a known-positive run control; then review the catalog antibody's IHC-P instructions and detection steps (general IHC practice).
Signal is weak but confined to plausible cells.HPA reports different levels by cell population, including Low staining in cerebral cortex endothelial cells and thyroid glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC).Use a High reference population, such as lung macrophages, to assess assay performance; compare equivalent cells and keep exposure or chromogen development consistent (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
Nuclear staining is present without obvious cytoplasmic staining.Nuclear localisation is biologically plausible after release from cytoplasmic inhibition (UniProt P19838); HPA also reports nuclear expression in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC).Check cell boundaries and the counterstain before scoring compartments; record nuclear and cytoplasmic staining separately, without inferring activation from localisation alone (general IHC practice; UniProt P19838 function).
An unexpected membrane-like outline dominates.A membrane-dominant pattern lacks support from the cytoplasm/nucleus annotations and no-transmembrane topology (UniProt P19838).Compare the outline with a no-primary control and inspect staining at section edges; seek a repeatable intracellular pattern in HPA High reference cells (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC).
Broad brown background appears across unrelated structures.Nonspecific detection or endogenous activity can obscure localisation in chromogenic IHC (general IHC practice).Examine a no-primary control, review blocking and washes, and assess whether the background tracks tissue rather than identifiable cells (general IHC practice).
Strong staining appears in a cell type listed as Not detected.The HPA category may differ from the specimen, or the signal may be nonspecific; the HPA category alone cannot decide which (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).Confirm cell identity and compare a no-primary control plus an HPA High reference population; report the discrepancy instead of relabeling the HPA reference pattern (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC).

Sample controls for NFKB1 IHC & IF

🧪Run tonsil first: germinal center cells should stain strongly (HPA: High in tonsil germinal center cells). Use skeletal muscle as the negative tissue, where myocytes are listed as not detected (HPA: Not detected in skeletal muscle myocytes); cells on the tonsil slide without specific staining should show only background signal and serve as internal negative comparators.
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 NFKB1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, ASC52telo, RPTEC/TERT1, hTERT-RPE1 (serum starved), with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host species and immunoglobulin class; use NFKB1-knockout material as a biological negative, or a peptide block if the matching immunogen is available. For chromogenic tonsil IHC, quench endogenous peroxidase and assess background in the controls before interpreting DAB staining (HPA: High in tonsil germinal center cells).
⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported in the supplied evidence, and the selected M00283-2 paraffin-section caption does not report a fixative (selected tissue-IHC caption). Antigen retrieval dependence is unreported; optimize retrieval for the IHC-validated antibody, and do not assume frozen sections or IF are easier from the supplied evidence. Endogenous peroxidase in tonsillar inflammatory cells can complicate chromogenic interpretation, so compare staining with the no-primary control (HPA: High in tonsil germinal center cells).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for NFKB1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — 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
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Lung Macrophages High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Lymph node Germinal center cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Testis Spermatogonia cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Tonsil Germinal center cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Heart muscle Cardiomyocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Hippocampus Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Liver Cholangiocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skeletal muscle Myocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced NFKB1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot NFKB1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell identity and the antibody epitope before scoring chromogenic signal.

What retrieval should I try when NFKB1 staining is weak?
Start with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 heat-induced epitope retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval rule: nuclear antigen). If staining remains weak, compare a milder retrieval condition on adjacent sections while keeping antibody dilution and detection constant; record any loss of tissue morphology (standard IHC practice). The paraffin-section image for catalog antibody M00283-2 reports a 1:25 primary dilution but no retrieval condition, so it cannot establish a product-specific retrieval optimum (M00283-2 caption). Judge changes separately in cytoplasm and nuclei, because both compartments can contain NFKB1 signal (UniProt P19838 subcellular annotation; HPA tissue IHC profile).
Could fixation explain faint or uneven NFKB1 staining?
Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown from the supplied evidence, and the M00283-2 spleen caption identifies paraffin embedding without naming a fixative (M00283-2 caption). For a troubleshooting comparison, document fixation type and duration, section thickness, retrieval, and time in chromogen for each section (standard IHC practice). Compare similarly processed sections before changing the antibody dilution, because differences in processing can change epitope access and morphology in paraffin IHC (standard IHC practice). Do not infer an NFKB1-specific fixation effect from its intracellular localisation or modified residues; neither supplies a fixation experiment (UniProt P19838 subcellular and modified-residue annotations).
How should I assess cytoplasmic versus nuclear NFKB1 staining?
Assess cytoplasmic and nuclear staining separately: tissue IHC shows general cytoplasmic expression with additional nuclear expression in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC profile). NFKB1 can be retained in the cytoplasm with NFKBIA and translocate after NFKBIA degradation, so a nuclear pattern can reflect pathway state (UniProt P19838 subcellular annotation). Check whether the signal follows intact cell boundaries and hematoxylin-defined nuclei, using an adjacent section to assess tissue architecture when staining is crowded (standard IHC practice). Treat nuclear staining alone as evidence of localisation, not a direct measurement of transcriptional output, because NFKB1 forms complexes with different regulatory activities (UniProt P19838 function).
Can this antibody distinguish p105 from p50 in a tissue section?
The p105 precursor spans residues 1–968, whereas processed p50 spans residues 1–433 (UniProt P19838 processing). An antibody against a shared N-terminal epitope could detect both products; an epitope beyond residue 433 would exclude canonical p50, subject to the antibody’s documented specificity (UniProt P19838 processing; standard antibody epitope principle). The supplied M00283-2 caption gives a staining dilution but no epitope map, so its tissue stain cannot be assigned uniquely to p105 or p50 (M00283-2 caption). Before interpreting a nuclear-to-cytoplasmic change as altered processing, obtain the antibody’s epitope information and score the compartments separately (UniProt P19838 processing and subcellular annotation).
How can I investigate NFKB1 localisation with multiplex IF?
On a separate IF/ICC assay, pair NFKB1 with a validated marker for the expected cell population, such as macrophages in lung or germinal center cells in tonsil (HPA tissue IHC: High in lung macrophages and tonsil germinal center cells). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and place the weaker signal in a channel with low tissue autofluorescence, checking single-stain controls before interpreting overlap (standard IF practice). Use permeabilisation that gives antibodies access to cytosol and nucleoplasm, because NFKB1 has no transmembrane segment and both locations are supported (UniProt P19838 topology; HPA subcellular). Validate fixation and antibody conditions for IF/ICC independently; the M00283-2 paraffin-section caption does not provide IF/ICC conditions (M00283-2 caption).
How do I reduce diffuse brown signal without losing NFKB1 staining?
Compare a no-primary control and a section stained with the intended primary antibody to separate detection background from cellular signal (standard chromogenic IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase before the peroxidase-conjugated secondary and control DAB development time; these are general workflow controls, while the M00283-2 caption documents peroxidase secondary and DAB use (standard IHC practice; M00283-2 caption). If signal remains diffuse, titrate around the caption’s 1:25 primary dilution while keeping retrieval and development constant (M00283-2 caption; standard IHC practice). Preserve plausible cytoplasmic and nuclear staining during optimisation, because both distributions are reported for NFKB1 (HPA tissue IHC profile; UniProt P19838 subcellular annotation).
What should I quantify when NFKB1 staining varies between sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Score cytoplasmic and nuclear signal separately within a prespecified cell population, because NFKB1 tissue staining includes both compartments (HPA tissue IHC profile). Record an H-score from intensity and percentage of positive cells, or report percentage positive using a fixed threshold and the same denominator across sections (standard IHC scoring practice). Where cell abundance itself matters, report positive cells per mm² of viable tissue and normalise comparisons to the number of eligible cells or measured viable area (standard IHC quantification practice). Keep retrieval, DAB development, imaging and segmentation rules consistent, and exclude folds and necrotic regions from the scored area (standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish genuine NFKB1 signal from artefact?
Expect interpretable cytoplasmic staining and, in some tissues, additional nuclear staining rather than assuming one compartment must always dominate (HPA tissue IHC profile; UniProt P19838 subcellular annotation). Check cell identity: lung macrophages and tonsil germinal center cells are reported as high, while adipocytes and cardiomyocytes are reported as not detected in the cited tissue survey (HPA tissue IHC profile). Discount signal concentrated at section edges, folds or necrotic areas, and compare a no-primary control for endogenous enzyme or detection background (standard IHC practice). Even convincing nuclear staining does not alone prove pathway activation or distinguish p105 from p50 without epitope information (UniProt P19838 function and processing).
Boster reagents

Best NFKB1 / Nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p105 subunit IHC Antibodies

The catalog includes NFKB1 antibodies with human tissue IHC images and a U2OS cell IF image (catalog image captions); some antibodies also list mouse and rat reactivity (catalog: M00283, M00283-3).

Real IHC data Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded H. spleen section using NFKB1 (Cat#M00283-2). M00283-2 was diluted at 1:25 dilution. A peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG at 1:400 dilution was used as the secondary antibody, followed by DAB staining.
Anti-NFKB1 Antibody
Cat # M00283-2
Real IHC data Immunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded human kidney, using NF-κB p105/p50 Antibody.
Anti-NF-Kappa B (p105/p50) NFKB1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M00283
Real IHC data Human prostate carcinoma was stained with anti-NF-κB1 p105/p50 rabbit antibody
Anti-NF-κB1 p105/p50 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M00283-3
Real IF data IF analysis of NFkB p105/p50/NFKB1 using anti-NFkB p105/p50/NFKB1 antibody (PB9149). NFkB p105/p50/NFKB1 was detected in an immunocytochemical section of U2OS cells. Enzyme antigen retrieval was performed using IHC enzyme antigen retrieval reagent (AR0022) for 15 mins. The cells were blocked with 10% goat serum. And then incubated with 5 μg/mL rabbit anti-NFkB p105/p50/NFKB1 Antibody (PB9149) overnight at 4°C. Cy3 Conjugated Goat Anti-Rabbit IgG (BA1032) was used as secondary antibody at 1:500 dilution and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The section was counterstained with DAPI. Visualize using a fluorescence microscope and filter sets appropriate for the label used.
Anti-NFkB/NFKB1 p105/p50 Antibody ®
Cat # PB9149

M00283-2 shows IHC on paraffin-embedded human spleen (M00283-2 image caption), while M00283 shows IHC on paraffin-embedded human kidney (M00283 image caption). M00283-3 shows IHC staining of human prostate carcinoma (M00283-3 image caption); PB9149 shows IF in U2OS cells (PB9149 image caption).

Which to pick: For human paraffin-section IHC, M00283-2 is an option at 1:25 (M00283-2 datasheet; M00283-2 spleen image caption); the caption does not report the fixative (M00283-2 image caption). For IF/ICC, choose PB9149, a human-reactive rabbit polyclonal antibody with a U2OS cell IF image (PB9149 catalog; PB9149 image caption). For planned mouse or rat IHC, consider rabbit monoclonal M00283 or M00283-3 because both list IHC and mouse/rat reactivity (catalog: M00283, M00283-3); their pictured IHC samples are human, and M00283-3’s caption does not report tissue processing or fixative (M00283 and M00283-3 image captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P19838 (NFKB1_HUMAN, Nuclear factor NF-kappa-B p105 subunit).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. NFKB1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. NFKB1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the cytosol..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. NFKB1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Identification and construction of prognostic clusters and risk-prognosis model based on aging-immune related genes in bladder cancer. Discover oncology 2024 — PMC11618553.
  6. Integrated transcriptional profiling and genomic analyses reveal RPN2 and HMGB1 as promising biomarkers in colorectal cancer. Cell & bioscience 2015 — PMC4574027.
  7. Case Report: Molecular and immunological insights into primary extramedullary plasmacytoma: discovery of a novel IGH::NFKB1 fusion and its impact on disease progression and treatment. Frontiers in immunology 2025 — PMC12585950.
  8. miR-508-3p concordantly silences NFKB1 and RELA to inactivate canonical NF-κB signaling in gastric carcinogenesis. Molecular cancer 2016 — PMC4724081.
  9. PubMed PMID:2203531 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:2234062 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:1992489 — UniProt-cited evidence.