This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
- Table of Contents
PRKCB / Protein kinase C beta type · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for PRKCB
Plan PRKCB chromogenic IHC in paraffin sections using the cytoplasmic and nuclear pattern reported in lymphoid tissue and CNS (HPA tissue IHC). Use the annotated positive cell populations as references, and interpret staining cautiously because presumed off-target binding was observed (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
PRKCB 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 and nuclear staining in lymphoid tissue and CNS (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Non-germinal center cells: cytoplasmic and nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01940) | |
| Positive control | Lymph node+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 | Presumed off-target binding may confound staining (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Expression regulation is not annotated (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms, Beta-I and Beta-II; check epitope coverage (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended PRKCB IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol (datasheet: A01940) is accompanied by four published PRKCB IHC workflows using paraffin sections (PMC10702695; PMC11866518; PMC13017258; PMC11535215).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded mouse brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01940) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01940); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A01940); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A01940) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-PRKCB, 2-5μg/ml (datasheet A01940) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01940) |
| Detection | HRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet A01940) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | PRKCB-positive staining in non-germinal center cells of lymph node (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic and nuclear expression in lymphoid tissues and CNS. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (datasheet: A01940). If staining needs optimization, the gastric study reports citrate retrieval at pH 9.0 (PMC11535215).
Section 2
What Is the Expected PRKCB Staining Pattern?
PRKCB should show cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in lymphoid tissues and the CNS, including non-germinal center cells in lymph node and tonsil, red-pulp cells in spleen, and neurons in sampled brain regions (HPA tissue IHC). UniProt lists cytoplasm, nucleus and membrane localisation, with no transmembrane segment (UniProt P05771 topology). Interpret positives cautiously: HPA rates tissue IHC Approved but reports low agreement with RNA data and disregarded presumed off-target staining (HPA tissue IHC).
| Strong cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in lymph-node or tonsil non-germinal center cells, or splenic red-pulp cells. | This matches HPA's High staining calls for those specific cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). Compare the distribution across cells and compartments; a dark deposit alone does not establish specific PRKCB detection. |
| Predominantly extracellular, luminal or structureless staining, with little signal in identifiable cell cytoplasm or nuclei. | Those compartments do not match the reported cytoplasm, nucleus and membrane localisation (UniProt P05771). Treat the pattern as suspect and review morphology, detection controls and the antibody's IHC validation before scoring it as PRKCB. |
| Strong staining in adipocytes or in glandular cells of adrenal tissue, while expected positive cells are weak. | HPA calls those sampled cell populations Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic detection activity is plausible (general IHC practice); do not infer whole-tissue absence from a cell-specific HPA call. |
| A nearly uniform haze or precipitate covers cells and surrounding tissue, obscuring compartment boundaries. | This cannot be assigned confidently to PRKCB's documented cellular locations (UniProt P05771). Diffuse background may reflect nonspecific antibody binding, detection activity or chromogen precipitate (general IHC practice); assess a matched negative control. |
| Little or no signal appears in lymph-node non-germinal center cells, tonsillar non-germinal center cells or splenic red-pulp cells. | These are High-staining reference populations in HPA tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC). If morphology and controls are sound, review the antibody's IHC suitability and general assay conditions before interpreting another specimen as negative. |
💡Expected PRKCB appearanceCall a convincing positive when identifiable non-germinal center lymphoid cells or splenic red-pulp cells show strong cellular cytoplasmic and nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC); uniform staining of HPA-negative adipocytes or diffuse extracellular deposit is suspect (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
| Cell population and tissue context (HPA tissue IHC) | HPA reports High staining in specified lymphoid populations, Medium in neuronal cells of caudate, cerebral cortex and hippocampus, and in cerebellar granular-layer cells, and Not detected in sampled adipocytes (HPA tissue IHC). Compare like cell populations when choosing a positive reference. |
| Subcellular localisation and topology (UniProt P05771; HPA subcellular) | Cytoplasm and nucleus are consistent with HPA tissue IHC; membrane association is also listed by UniProt despite no transmembrane segment (UniProt P05771). HPA ICC-IF supports nucleoplasm and marks additional cytosol localisation uncertain (HPA subcellular). |
| Antibody validation and interpretation limit (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC) | HPA048321 and CAB003843 have IHC Approved status; HPA054203 has no listed IHC status (HPA antibodies). Approved does not erase HPA's low staining–RNA consistency or its report of disregarded presumed off-target binding (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Isoforms and epitope coverage (UniProt P05771) | UniProt lists Beta-I and Beta-II isoforms (UniProt P05771). The supplied record gives no antibody epitope or isoform-specific IHC evidence, so a staining result cannot identify which isoform contributed; consult the actual antibody documentation before making that claim. |
| Retrieval and detection conditions (general IHC practice) | Antigen retrieval and endogenous detection-activity controls can alter the readability of a chromogenic IHC assay (general IHC practice). The supplied sources give no PRKCB-specific retrieval setting or fixation sensitivity; determine assay conditions using the IHC-validated antibody's instructions and controls. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Expected lymphoid positive cells show no chromogen (HPA tissue IHC). | An assay failure or insufficient sensitivity is possible; HPA alone does not identify the failed step (general IHC practice). | Check a matched positive section, antibody IHC validation, detection reagents and the selected retrieval workflow (general IHC practice). Avoid declaring the test specimen PRKCB-negative until the reference works. |
| Adipocytes stain as strongly as expected lymphoid cells (HPA tissue IHC). | HPA calls sampled adipocytes Not detected; nonspecific binding or endogenous detection activity may account for the deposit (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Compare an antibody-omission control and inspect whether signal follows cell morphology (general IHC practice). Reassess antibody specificity against HPA's known low-consistency warning (HPA tissue IHC). |
| The slide has widespread brown haze or granular deposit. | Nonspecific binding, endogenous detection activity or chromogen precipitate can obscure cellular signal (general IHC practice). | Review negative controls, blocking, washes and reagent cleanliness; score only deposits with clear cellular boundaries (general IHC practice). Do not call the haze a PRKCB compartment. |
| Only extracellular or luminal material stains; cellular positives are absent. | This distribution conflicts with the listed cytoplasm, nucleus and membrane locations (UniProt P05771). | Check morphology and negative controls, then compare a known-positive lymphoid section (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). Treat the isolated deposit as unverified until cellular staining is reproduced. |
| Brain staining is weaker than lymphoid staining (HPA tissue IHC). | HPA calls the listed neuronal and cerebellar populations Medium, versus High for the listed lymphoid populations (HPA tissue IHC). | Identify the relevant neuronal or granular-layer cells before scoring, and compare with an appropriate positive reference (HPA tissue IHC). Weaker brain signal alone does not show assay failure. |
| Can ICC-IF localisation determine the paraffin IHC protocol? | HPA ICC-IF supports nucleoplasmic localisation and marks additional cytosol localisation uncertain; these images do not supply paraffin retrieval or chromogenic detection conditions (HPA subcellular). | Use the separate IF/ICC guide for fluorescence questions. For this IHC interpretation, use tissue IHC observations and the IHC-validated antibody's assay documentation (HPA tissue IHC; HPA antibodies). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing PRKCB staining
A01940 · IHCIHC analysis of PRKCB using anti-PRKCB antibody (A01940). PRKCB was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of mouse brain tissue. Heat medi
M01940-2 · IHCImmunohistochemical analysis of paraffin-embedded mouse colon, using PKC beta 1 Antibody.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000166501-PRKCB/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_1300772
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000166501-PRKCB/tissue/colon#imid_1300706
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000166501-PRKCB/tissue/liver#imid_1300691
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000166501-PRKCB/tissue/kidney#imid_1300700
HPA · ICC-IF HeLaHuman Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, HeLa, antibody HPA048321; green = PRKCB, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF HeLaHuman Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, HeLa, antibody HPA048321; green = PRKCB, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for PRKCB IHC & IF
🧪Run lymph node first and score non-germinal center cells, where PRKCB staining is High (HPA: lymph node, non-germinal center cells, High). Use adipose tissue adipocytes as the negative comparator (HPA: adipose tissue, adipocytes, Not detected); on the lymph node slide, treat neighboring unstained cells as internal negatives only after identifying their cell type, since the supplied HPA row does not classify them (HPA: lymph node, non-germinal center cells, High).
Positive control tissue: Lymph node (Non-germinal center cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show PRKCB in HeLa, RT-4, U2OS, K-562, NIH 3T3, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and host- and clonality-matched isotype controls, alongside PRKCB-knockout tissue if available (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase and inspect lymph node for background DAB signal from peroxidase-containing cells (standard chromogenic IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (A01940 caption: fixative not stated). The caption demonstrates heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, but does not establish that retrieval is required (A01940 caption: EDTA pH 8.0). The supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier; the documented example is paraffin-section IHC with HRP/DAB, for which endogenous peroxidase background should be checked in lymph node (A01940 caption: paraffin section and HRP/DAB; standard chromogenic IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for PRKCB
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — Low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Presumed off target binding observed and disregarded.). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymph node | Non-germinal center cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Spleen | Cells in red pulp | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Tonsil | Non-germinal center cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Caudate | Neuronal cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebellum | Cells in granular layer | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Adrenal gland | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bronchus | Respiratory epithelial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced PRKCB IHC Tips
Troubleshoot PRKCB staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, compartment, cell type and controls before interpreting chromogenic signal.
How should I retrieve PRKCB in paraffin sections when staining is weak?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA pH 8.0 for paraffin sections (datasheet A01940). The selected mouse brain image used that retrieval, followed by 10% goat serum blocking and 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C (caption A01940). If signal remains weak, first compare a reliably stained control section and check deparaffinisation, retrieval heating and reagent coverage across the slide (standard IHC practice). Only then compare a different retrieval condition on adjacent sections, keeping antibody concentration and detection constant so the effect can be judged (standard IHC practice). Excessive heating can damage morphology and complicate compartment scoring, so assess tissue preservation alongside signal (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain variable PRKCB staining between paraffin blocks?
Target-specific sensitivity of PRKCB to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (caption A01940). Record each block’s fixative and fixation duration, then compare sections with the same retrieval, primary incubation and chromogenic detection conditions (standard IHC practice). Use a positive-control section in each run to distinguish a block-specific loss of staining from a staining-run failure (standard IHC practice). If heavily fixed blocks stain poorly, test retrieval changes on adjacent sections while checking nuclear and cytoplasmic morphology (standard IHC practice). Do not infer a PRKCB-specific fixation effect from tissue staining patterns or its intracellular locations (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt P05771 subcellular).
Should PRKCB stain nuclei, cytoplasm or cell membranes in IHC?
Assess nuclear and cytoplasmic signal separately: lymphoid tissues and CNS show both patterns in tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC). Membrane-associated signal can be biologically plausible because PRKCB is annotated at membranes, as well as in cytoplasm and nucleus (UniProt P05771 subcellular). PRKCB has no transmembrane segment, so a membrane outline alone does not establish a membrane-spanning protein or antibody specificity (UniProt P05771 topology). Compare staining within the same cell type across intact regions, and review a matched negative control for diffuse chromogen or tissue-edge deposits (standard IHC practice). Interpret nuclear enrichment cautiously when cytoplasmic staining is absent, because the HPA tissue assessment flags presumed off-target binding (HPA tissue IHC reliability).
Can this IHC signal distinguish PRKCB beta-I from beta-II?
Do not assign an isoform from staining alone: PRKCB has beta-I and beta-II isoforms, but the supplied antibody caption gives no epitope or isoform-specific validation (UniProt P05771 isoforms; caption A01940). Request the immunogen or mapped epitope before interpreting differential nuclear or cytoplasmic patterns as an isoform difference (standard IHC practice). PRKCB also carries multiple annotated modified residues, including phosphoserine at 11 and phosphothreonine at 17; their effects on this antibody’s recognition are unreported (UniProt P05771 modified residues; caption A01940). For an isoform claim, pair compartment-resolved IHC with an independently validated isoform-specific assay or antibody (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval and detection identical across the sections being compared (standard IHC practice).
How can IF help investigate an uncertain PRKCB IHC pattern?
Use IF as a follow-up to the chromogenic IHC result, with a validated marker for the expected cell type; lymphoid and neuronal cells are supported tissue comparisons (HPA tissue IHC). Select spectrally separated fluorophores and consider a far-red PRKCB channel when tissue autofluorescence interferes with shorter wavelengths (standard IF practice). PRKCB is intracellular and has no transmembrane segment, so evaluate permeabilisation for access to cytoplasmic and nuclear epitopes after the chosen fixation (UniProt P05771 topology; standard IF practice). Include single-label and secondary-only controls before calling colocalisation or a change in compartment (standard IF practice). The HPA reports supported nucleoplasmic and uncertain cytosolic localisation in its cell imaging data, which can guide comparisons without validating this catalog antibody for IF (HPA subcellular; caption A01940).
What should I change when PRKCB DAB staining appears widespread?
Check a no-primary control and inspect pigment, tissue folds and slide edges before interpreting widespread brown signal as PRKCB (standard IHC practice). In a peroxidase-based workflow, verify endogenous peroxidase blocking and limit DAB development consistently across sections (standard IHC practice). The selected image used 10% goat serum, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and peroxidase-linked detection with DAB (caption A01940). If background persists, titrate the primary around that tested concentration and adjust blocking or washes one variable at a time (standard IHC practice). Compare any residual signal with the expected nuclear and cytoplasmic pattern, mindful that presumed off-target binding was reported in the tissue survey (HPA tissue IHC reliability).
How should I score PRKCB staining across tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring: the tissue survey reports high signal in lymph-node non-germinal-center cells and medium signal in cerebral-cortex neuronal cells (HPA tissue IHC). For a fixed cell population, record the percentage positive and an intensity-based H-score separately for nuclear and cytoplasmic staining (standard IHC practice). If cells are unevenly distributed, report positive-cell density per mm² of viable tissue and normalise to the relevant cell population or viable area (standard IHC practice). Keep section thickness, retrieval, DAB development, imaging and positivity thresholds consistent across groups (standard IHC practice). Review questionable fields for necrosis, folds and edge effects before aggregating scores (standard IHC practice).
When is PRKCB staining convincing rather than an artefact?
A convincing pattern matches the cell population and intracellular compartments: lymph-node non-germinal-center cells are reported high, while lymphoid tissues and CNS show cytoplasmic and nuclear staining (HPA tissue IHC). Be cautious with a pattern confined to an unexpected cell type or an isolated membrane rim, because PRKCB has no transmembrane segment (UniProt P05771 topology). Discount staining limited to cut edges, necrotic regions or sites positive in a no-primary control; assess endogenous peroxidase before attributing DAB to PRKCB (standard IHC practice). Compare reproducibility across sections and an appropriate positive control before drawing a biological conclusion (standard IHC practice). Treat the result as provisional when discordant, since the tissue survey reports low RNA–staining consistency and presumed off-target binding (HPA tissue IHC reliability).
Boster reagents
Best PRKCB / Protein kinase C beta type IHC Antibodies
Two anti-PRKCB antibodies have real IHC images from paraffin-embedded mouse brain and colon (A01940 and M01940-2 image captions); both list Human, Mouse and Rat reactivity (catalog: reactivity).
Real IHC data
Anti-PKC beta 1/PRKCB Antibody ®
Cat # A01940
Real IHC data
Anti-PKC beta 1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M01940-2
A01940 has an IHC image from a paraffin-embedded mouse brain section and lists IHC among its applications (A01940 image caption; catalog: applications). M01940-2 has an IHC image from paraffin-embedded mouse colon and lists IHC, IF and ICC (M01940-2 image caption; catalog: applications).
Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A01940 when its documented mouse-brain workflow is useful (A01940 image caption: EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0, goat-serum blocking and DAB detection), or M01940-2 for a monoclonal illustrated in paraffin-embedded mouse colon (catalog: clone 17P98; M01940-2 image caption). For IF/ICC, choose M01940-2 because both applications are listed, although no IF image is supplied (catalog: applications and IF image alts). For work across species, both list Human, Mouse and Rat reactivity (catalog: reactivity); neither IHC caption reports the fixative (A01940 and M01940-2 image captions).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P05771 (KPCB_HUMAN, Protein kinase C beta type).
- Human Protein Atlas. PRKCB tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
- Human Protein Atlas. PRKCB subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. PRKCB antibody validation summary (3 antibodies).
- Comprehensive analysis of the clinical and prognostic significance of SFRP1 and PRKCB expression in non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis. European journal of cancer prevention : the official journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP) 2024 — PMC10702695.
- A genome-wide association study identified PRKCB as a causal gene and therapeutic target for Mycobacterium avium complex disease. Cell reports. Medicine 2025 — PMC11866518.
- Integrative analysis reveals PRKCB and SRD5A2 as potential immune-associated biomarkers in prostate cancer targeted by traditional Chinese medicine. Frontiers in oncology 2026 — PMC13017258.
- Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling reveals a novel hypermethylated biomarker PRKCB in gastric cancer. Scientific reports 2024 — PMC11535215.
- PubMed PMID:3755548 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:3666134 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:10493829 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for PRKCB (Protein kinase C beta type). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining in lymphoid tissue and CNS (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01940). Validated IHC antibody: A01940 at 2-5μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Lymph node (Non-germinal center cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded mouse brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01940); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01940); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet A01940); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A01940); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-PRKCB, 2-5μg/ml (datasheet A01940); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01940). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Presumed off-target binding may confound staining (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms, Beta-I and Beta-II; check epitope coverage (UniProt); Regulation: Expression regulation is not annotated (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt P05771, HPA tissue IHC · Approved, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the…, Datasheet A01940, PMC10702695, PMC11866518. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/PRKCB/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.