PDIA3 / Protein disulfide-isomerase A3 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for PDIA3

Plan chromogenic paraffin IHC for PDIA3 with the catalog antibody at 0.5–1 μg/mL (datasheet PB9772). Assess cytoplasmic staining in glandular epithelia and compare it with cardiomyocytes, where staining was not detected (HPA tissue IHC).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for PDIA3 (IHC for PDIA3): expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); ER lumen (UniProt), antibody PB9772, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable PDIA3 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); ER lumen (UniProt), antibody PB9772, controls and protocol steps. Open the full PDIA3 IHC guide →

PDIA3 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); ER lumen (UniProt)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic staining, highest in glandular epithelia (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Citrate pH 6 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet PB9772)
Positive control ⓘ Cerebellum+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Heart muscle+1 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 Cardiomyocytes and skeletal myocytes may lack detectable staining (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation No specific expression regulator reported (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope No isoforms listed; mature chain starts at residue 25 (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended PDIA3 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet: PB9772) is followed by published PDIA3 staining protocols for cervical carcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma, and lung cancer tissue (PMC11117164; PMC3691597; PMC5722536).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded Human Lung Cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet PB9772)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet PB9772); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: Citrate pH 6, 20 min (datasheet PB9772)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet PB9772)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-PDIA3, 0.5-1μg/ml (datasheet PB9772)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet PB9772)
DetectionStreptavidin-biotin complex (SABC), DAB chromogen (datasheet PB9772)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultPDIA3-positive staining in processes in granular layer of cerebellum (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in all tissues with highest levels in glandular epithelia. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated citrate retrieval at pH 6 for the catalog antibody (datasheet: PB9772); match each published protocol’s stated conditions when reproducing that study.
Section 2

What Is the Expected PDIA3 Staining Pattern?

PDIA3 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal protein with no transmembrane segment (UniProt P30101 topology). In paraffin section IHC, expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining, especially in glandular epithelia (HPA: tissue IHC, Enhanced reliability). HPA reports strong staining in several other cell types, including kidney tubular cells and cerebral cortical neurons (HPA: High). Assess the stained cell population as well as its compartment.

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in glandular cells, with a stronger signal than nearby unstained areas.This fits the broad tissue profile: HPA describes cytoplasmic expression with the highest levels in glandular epithelia (HPA: tissue IHC). An ER-associated distribution is consistent with the protein's location, although chromogenic IHC may not resolve an ER network (UniProt P30101; HPA: subcellular ICC-IF).
Prominent staining confined to nuclei or cell surfaces, without a convincing cytoplasmic component.Treat this as a localization mismatch requiring review of controls and staining conditions. The established main location is the ER (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF; UniProt P30101). UniProt also reports PDIA3 in melanosome fractions, so an unusual pattern needs context rather than an automatic rejection (UniProt P30101).
Strong staining in cardiomyocytes or skeletal myocytes while an expected positive cell population is weak.Question specificity or endogenous detection activity: HPA reports PDIA3 as not detected in cardiomyocytes and skeletal myocytes (HPA: tissue IHC). Compare a no-primary control and a known-positive tissue on the same run; the HPA categories describe observed staining, not an absolute biological absence.
Uniform chromogen across cells, stroma, and blank spaces, obscuring cell boundaries.This is more consistent with nonspecific background or detection-system activity than a cell-associated PDIA3 pattern. Interpret the section only after controls distinguish background from cytoplasmic signal; HPA's tissue profile concerns cell staining and does not validate a uniform haze (HPA: tissue IHC).
No signal in glandular cells of endometrium or in kidney tubular cells.A negative run is suspect when these HPA high-staining populations are present (HPA: High in endometrial glandular cells; High in kidney tubular cells). Check tissue preservation and assay controls, then optimize the IHC workflow. Their reported high staining does not establish PDIA3-specific fixation sensitivity.
💡Expected PDIA3 appearanceCall the result positive when identifiable glandular epithelial cells show clear cytoplasmic chromogen, with strong staining plausible in endometrial glandular or kidney tubular cells (HPA: tissue IHC, High); isolated nuclear staining or uniform background is a suspect result given the ER localization (UniProt P30101; HPA: subcellular ICC-IF).
How each factor affects the staining
Cell population and tissue selectionThe positive control must contain the scored cell type: HPA rates endometrial and epididymal glandular cells, kidney tubular cells, and lung type I alveolar cells High, but cardiomyocytes and skeletal myocytes Not detected (HPA: tissue IHC). A whole-section average can conceal these differences.
ER localization and optical resolutionPDIA3 resides in the ER lumen without a transmembrane segment (UniProt P30101 topology), and ICC-IF assigns the ER as its enhanced main location (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF). Interpret a chromogenic cytoplasmic pattern at cellular scale; do not require an individually resolved reticular network in paraffin sections.
Protein processing and isoformsUniProt annotates a signal peptide at residues 1–24, a mature chain at 25–505, and no listed isoforms (UniProt P30101). These annotations can guide review of an antibody's stated epitope, but the supplied record gives no catalog antibody epitope or PDIA3-specific retrieval requirement.
Antibody validationHPA assigns Enhanced IHC validation to HPA002645, HPA003230, CAB011199, and CAB075744 (HPA: antibodies). This supports comparison with HPA tissue patterns, but validation of those antibodies does not by itself establish the performance of an unspecified catalog antibody.
Antigen retrieval and endogenous activityRetrieval choice and checks for endogenous detection activity are general paraffin IHC workflow decisions. The supplied UniProt and HPA records report no PDIA3-specific retrieval condition or fixation effect; assess changes with on-run positive and no-primary controls rather than attributing a result to PDIA3 chemistry.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Expected-positive glandular or tubular cells are blank.The run may have insufficient detectable signal, or the relevant cells may be absent from the section. HPA rates endometrial glandular and kidney tubular cells High (HPA: tissue IHC); the record does not identify a PDIA3-specific cause of signal loss.Confirm the cell population on the counterstain, verify the positive control, and review antibody dilution, retrieval, and detection as general IHC parameters. Reassess only after the positive control stains.
Cardiomyocytes or skeletal myocytes stain strongly.This conflicts with HPA's Not detected categories for those cell types (HPA: tissue IHC). Nonspecific antibody binding or endogenous detection activity are possible general IHC explanations, not demonstrated causes in this section.Compare a no-primary control and an expected-positive tissue processed in the same run. If the control remains clean, review antibody specificity and score the observed cell types explicitly.
Only nuclei show a convincing signal.A nuclear-only pattern does not fit PDIA3's ER location (UniProt P30101; HPA: subcellular ICC-IF). The evidence does not identify which staining step caused the mismatch.Check the no-primary control and cellular morphology, then repeat with a validated positive control. Do not score isolated nuclear chromogen as the expected PDIA3 pattern.
Diffuse staining makes the cytoplasm hard to score.Excess background can mask cell-associated signal in chromogenic IHC. HPA reports a cytoplasmic tissue pattern, not uniform section-wide staining (HPA: tissue IHC).Inspect a no-primary control, review blocking and detection steps, and adjust antibody concentration only as a general IHC optimization. Compare cell-associated staining with background on the same slide.
A tissue looks negative despite reports of widespread expression.HPA's broad cytoplasmic profile includes cell-specific exceptions: cardiomyocytes and skeletal myocytes are Not detected, while smooth muscle cells are Low (HPA: tissue IHC). A section can also lack the reported positive cell population.Identify the tissue and scored cells before calling assay failure. Include a documented High population as the run control, and report the local result without converting HPA's categories into absolute absence.
Can ICC-IF images define an IHC protocol or settle a disputed chromogenic pattern?ICC-IF supports ER localization in cultured cells (HPA: subcellular ICC-IF); it does not specify a paraffin IHC retrieval or detection procedure. The two applications have different specimen and readout conditions.Use the ICC-IF result as a compartment check only. Judge paraffin IHC against HPA tissue staining and an on-run positive control; consult the separate IF/ICC guide for that application.

Sample controls for PDIA3 IHC & IF

🧪Run endometrium first: glandular cells should stain for PDIA3 (HPA: High in endometrial glandular cells); use skeletal muscle myocytes as the negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in skeletal muscle myocytes). Compare adjacent nonglandular cells with the glands, but do not presume they are negative because HPA specifies no internal negative cell population for endometrium (HPA: endometrium row).
Positive control tissue: Cerebellum (Processes in granular layer, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Heart muscle (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show PDIA3 in U-251MG, U2OS, A-431, hTERT-RPE1 (serum starved), U2OS, scrambled (10x), U2OS, scrambled (40x), U2OS, siRNA 1 (10x), U2OS, siRNA 1 (40x), U2OS, siRNA 2 (10x), U2OS, siRNA 2 (40x), with annotated localisation: Endoplasmic reticulum (enhanced) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a concentration-matched rabbit isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s clonality; use a PDIA3 knockout specimen or validated peptide block as a biological specificity control (selected PB9772 caption: rabbit primary). For the caption’s biotin-based DAB detection, quench endogenous peroxidase and check for endogenous biotin background in endometrium (selected PB9772 caption: SABC/DAB).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the exact PB9772 paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (selected PB9772 caption: fixative unreported). Heat retrieval in citrate buffer at pH 6 for 20 minutes is a documented starting condition; whether PDIA3 staining depends on retrieval is unestablished (selected PB9772 caption: retrieval conditions). The supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier, or identify an endometrium-specific artefact; HPA does show endoplasmic reticulum localization in ICC-IF images (HPA: subcellular summary).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for PDIA3

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — High 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
Cerebellum Processes in granular layer High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Neuronal cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Duodenum Endocrine cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Endometrium Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Epididymis Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Heart muscle Cardiomyocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skeletal muscle Myocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced PDIA3 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot PDIA3 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment pattern, controls and scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.

How should I adjust retrieval when PDIA3 staining is weak in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated citrate retrieval at pH 6 for 20 minutes (datasheet PB9772). Keep section thickness, heating method and cooling time consistent across the comparison, then check whether staining improves in an expected positive cell population (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC: high in kidney tubule cells). If signal remains weak, test another retrieval condition on serial sections while holding antibody concentration and detection chemistry fixed; treat it as an optimization, not a documented PDIA3 requirement (standard IHC practice). Excessive heating can damage tissue morphology, so judge any signal gain alongside intact cell boundaries and the expected cytoplasmic pattern (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven PDIA3 staining?
Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown: the selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative, and the supplied evidence does not establish how fixation changes PDIA3 staining (PB9772 tissue-IHC caption). Record the fixative, time to fixation and fixation duration for each specimen before comparing staining intensity across cases (standard IHC practice). If a processing effect is suspected, stain sections from differently processed specimens in the same run with a consistent retrieval and detection workflow (standard IHC practice). Interpret differences only after checking tissue preservation and an expected positive population, such as kidney tubule cells; their reported staining is a control for pattern, not evidence of fixation tolerance (HPA tissue IHC: high in kidney tubules; standard IHC practice).
What staining pattern should count as plausible PDIA3 signal?
Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining in tissue sections, consistent with PDIA3's endoplasmic reticulum lumen location (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression; UniProt P30101 subcellular location). The protein has a signal peptide at residues 1–24 and no transmembrane segment, so a crisp plasma-membrane-only outline warrants further validation (UniProt P30101 processing and topology; standard IHC practice). Compare suspicious staining with a documented positive compartment on the same slide or a control section, while preserving enough counterstain to identify cells (HPA tissue IHC: high in kidney tubules; standard IHC practice). Melanosome fraction identification alone does not establish a routine chromogenic pattern in tissue sections, so assess that finding separately from the dominant ER expectation (UniProt P30101 subcellular location).
How can epitope uncertainty affect PDIA3 staining interpretation?
The supplied record lists 0 isoforms, but it does not identify the catalog antibody's epitope; do not assign an apparent staining difference to an isoform or a specific epitope without further evidence (UniProt P30101 isoforms; PB9772 tissue-IHC caption). PDIA3 is processed from a 505-residue precursor by removal of the 1–24 signal peptide, which matters if an antibody's epitope is later mapped to that region (UniProt P30101 processing). The record also lists modified residues, including lysines at 61 and 152, but supplies no evidence that these modifications affect this antibody (UniProt P30101 modified residues). Compare retrieval conditions and an independently validated antibody if epitope accessibility remains in doubt (standard IHC practice).
How should I check a PDIA3 pattern by IF alongside chromogenic IHC?
For a separate IF/ICC check, multiplex PDIA3 with a marker of the expected cell type so that cell identity can be judged alongside the ER pattern (HPA subcellular: endoplasmic reticulum; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after inspecting an unstained specimen for autofluorescence, and place the weaker signal in a channel with low tissue background (standard IF practice). Because PDIA3 is described as ER-luminal, permeabilisation is needed to access a luminal epitope, but the antibody's precise epitope is not supplied and should not be assumed (UniProt P30101 subcellular location; standard IF practice). Include single-stain controls when multiplexing, and assess whether the IF pattern agrees with cytoplasmic tissue IHC without treating either readout as proof of specificity (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression; standard IF practice).
What should I change when PDIA3 DAB staining is diffuse?
First inspect a no-primary control and the distribution of DAB deposit; diffuse color that persists without primary antibody points toward detection-system or tissue background (standard IHC practice). Use a peroxidase block before chromogenic detection and check whether the biotin-based detection workflow contributes background, because the selected caption used biotinylated secondary antibody, a streptavidin-biotin complex and DAB (standard IHC practice; PB9772 tissue-IHC caption). The selected method also used 10% goat serum and 1 μg/mL primary antibody overnight at 4°C; adjust one condition at a time if controls support excess antibody background (PB9772 tissue-IHC caption; standard IHC practice). Retain a known positive section during optimization so reduced background is not mistaken for lost PDIA3 signal (standard IHC practice).
How should I score PDIA3 staining across tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and scoring area before reading the slides, then report the percentage of positive cells and an intensity-based H-score on a 0–300 scale (standard IHC practice). For structures where individual cells cannot be resolved reliably, report positive area or cell density per mm² within a defined region instead (standard IHC practice). Normalize comparisons to the number of evaluable cells or tissue area and use the same threshold, counterstain and image settings across groups (standard IHC practice). Score glandular epithelium separately from other compartments when relevant, because the reference tissue profile describes the highest cytoplasmic levels in glandular epithelia (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression, highest in glandular epithelia).
How do I distinguish true PDIA3 staining from artefact?
A credible result combines a cytoplasmic pattern with staining in an expected population, such as kidney tubule cells or glandular cells, and a clean no-primary control (HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression, high in kidney tubules and glandular cells; standard IHC practice). Treat isolated nuclear staining or a sharp cell-surface outline cautiously because the supported location is the ER lumen and the protein has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P30101 subcellular location and topology; standard IHC practice). Exclude tissue edges, damaged or necrotic areas and pigment-like deposits from scoring, and check residual endogenous enzyme signal with the detection control (standard IHC practice). Compare suspect regions with preserved morphology and an independently supported positive pattern before calling a biological change in PDIA3 (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression).
Boster reagents

Best PDIA3 / Protein disulfide-isomerase A3 IHC Antibodies

PB9772 and M01464-4 have IHC images from human paraffin sections (catalog IHC captions); PB9772 also has an IF/ICC image from U20S cells (PB9772 IF caption).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of PB9771 using anti-PB9771 antibody (PB9772). PB9771 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of Human Lung Cancer Tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in citrate buffer (pH6, epitope retrieval solution) for 20 mins. The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1μg/ml rabbit anti-PB9771 Antibody (PB9772) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC)(Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-ERp57/PDIA3 Antibody ®
Cat # PB9772
Real IHC data IHC analysis of ERp57 using anti-ERp57 antibody (M01464-4). ERp57 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human rectal cancer tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 2 μg/ml mouse anti-ERp57 Antibody (M01464-4) overnight at 4°C. Peroxidase Conjugated Goat Anti-mouse IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using HRP Conjugated Mouse IgG Super Vision Assay Kit (Catalog # SV0001) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-ERp57 Antibody ® (monoclonal, 7E5)
Cat # M01464-4

PB9772 will render with its human lung cancer paraffin-section IHC image (PB9772 IHC caption); its catalog lists IHC, IF and ICC applications and Human, Mouse and Rat reactivity (PB9772 catalog). M01464-4 will render with its human rectal cancer paraffin-section IHC image (M01464-4 IHC caption); its catalog lists IHC and Human reactivity (M01464-4 catalog).

Which to pick: For human paraffin-section IHC, M01464-4 is a mouse monoclonal with a rectal cancer tissue image, while PB9772 is a rabbit antibody with a lung cancer tissue image (M01464-4 and PB9772 catalogs and IHC captions). For IF/ICC or cross-species testing, choose PB9772: its catalog lists IF/ICC and Human, Mouse and Rat reactivity, and its IF caption documents U20S cells (PB9772 catalog and IF caption). The fixative is unreported for both illustrated paraffin sections (PB9772 and M01464-4 IHC captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P30101 (PDIA3_HUMAN, Protein disulfide-isomerase A3).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. PDIA3 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. PDIA3 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the endoplasmic reticulum..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. PDIA3 antibody validation summary (5 antibodies).
  5. Effects of 1,25 and 24,25 Vitamin D on Corneal Fibroblast VDR and Vitamin D Metabolizing and Catabolizing Enzymes. Current eye research 2021 — PMC8363511.
  6. Clinicopathological significance of protein disulphide isomerase A3 and phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in cervical carcinoma. Contemporary oncology (Poznan, Poland) 2024 — PMC11117164.
  7. Clinicopathological features and CCT2 and PDIA2 expression in gallbladder squamous/adenosquamous carcinoma and gallbladder adenocarcinoma. World journal of surgical oncology 2013 — PMC3691597.
  8. Combination of CALR and PDIA3 is a potential prognostic biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer. Oncotarget 2017 — PMC5722536.
  9. PubMed PMID:7945384 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:7487104 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:8687406 — UniProt-cited evidence.