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PTER / N-acetyltaurine hydrolase · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for PTER
Plan chromogenic IHC-P for PTER using cytoplasmic staining in glandular and kidney tubular cells as a reference (HPA tissue IHC). The catalog antibody starts at 2.5 μg/mL and has IHC validation in mouse kidney (datasheet); validate staining in your chosen tissue because antibody–RNA concordance is low (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
PTER 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) | |
| Staining pattern | Cytoplasmic staining in glandular and kidney tubular cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen) | |
| Positive control | Colon+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 paraffin sections (standard IHC practice; not target-specific) | |
| Caveat | Low antibody–RNA concordance warrants validation (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Expression regulation is unreported (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; epitope coverage needs checking (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended PTER IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is accompanied by one published PTER staining protocol for renal tissue (PMC4012828).
| Sample | Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A08763); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-PTER, 2.5 μg/mL (datasheet A08763) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (standard) |
| Detection | HRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | PTER-positive staining in glandular cells of colon (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in most tissues. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with citrate pH 6.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval guidance for cytosolic PTER; UniProt Q96BW5).
Section 2
What Is the Expected PTER Staining Pattern?
PTER is annotated as cytosolic, with no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q96BW5). In tissue IHC, expect cytoplasmic staining, especially in glandular cells and kidney tubule cells recorded as High (HPA: tissue IHC). Treat intensity as a guide: HPA rates its tissue IHC Approved but reports low consistency between staining and RNA expression, pending external verification (HPA: tissue IHC reliability).
| Clear cytoplasmic stain in colon glandular cells or kidney tubule cells. | This matches the recorded High staining in those cells (HPA: colon and kidney tissue IHC) and PTER's cytosolic annotation (UniProt Q96BW5). Compare the cells with surrounding structures and the counterstain before scoring; a brown deposit across the whole section is less informative than a cell-resolved pattern (general IHC practice). |
| Predominantly membranous or luminal staining, with little cytoplasmic signal. | That compartment is inconsistent with the reported tissue pattern (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues) and with the lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q96BW5 topology). Consider an artefact and review the antibody controls and detection conditions before assigning it to PTER. Nuclear signal needs separate interpretation because ICC-IF reports it (HPA: subcellular). |
| Strong staining in adipocytes or skeletal myocytes. | Those cells are recorded as Not detected (HPA: adipose tissue and skeletal muscle IHC). Cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic activity is possible, especially if the deposit also appears in a no-primary control (general IHC practice). This discrepancy is a reason to check specificity, not proof that the biological sample lacks PTER. |
| Diffuse brown background obscures cell boundaries. | The distribution cannot be scored reliably as cytoplasmic PTER staining (general IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC pattern). Check a no-primary section for detection-system background, then inspect blocking, washes and antibody dilution as general IHC variables. Do not use background intensity to rank tissues against HPA's cell-specific levels. |
| No stain in colon glandular cells or kidney tubule cells. | That differs from the recorded High staining (HPA: colon and kidney tissue IHC), but one blank section does not establish PTER absence. Check that the intended cells are present, then verify the catalog antibody's IHC-P procedure and detection controls (general IHC practice). HPA reports low staining-to-RNA consistency, so treat any single-tissue comparison cautiously (HPA: reliability). |
💡Expected PTER appearanceCall a positive result when defined cytoplasmic staining appears in glandular cells or kidney tubule cells at the recorded High level (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt Q96BW5 cytosol); widespread acellular deposit or isolated membrane staining is suspect (general IHC practice; UniProt Q96BW5 topology).
| Tissue and cell selection | Colon glandular cells and kidney tubule cells offer recorded High IHC examples; adipocytes and skeletal myocytes are recorded as Not detected (HPA: tissue IHC). Score the named cell population rather than assigning one result to every cell in a section (general IHC practice). |
| Strength of the reference pattern | HPA calls its tissue IHC Approved while noting low consistency with RNA and pending external verification (HPA: reliability). Its listed antibodies are IHC Approved, with no IHC Enhanced status supplied (HPA: antibody validation). Use the pattern as a comparator, not a definitive tissue-wide cutoff. |
| Compartment and molecular form | PTER is annotated as cytosolic, with no signal peptide or transmembrane segment; the annotated chain spans residues 1–349 (UniProt Q96BW5). Two isoforms are listed, but the supplied record does not map antibody epitopes to them (UniProt Q96BW5). These facts support a cytoplasmic expectation without predicting isoform-specific IHC staining. |
| IF/ICC Q: How should nuclear signal be read? | A: HPA reports an approved mainly nucleoplasmic ICC-IF location, with additional cytosol (HPA: subcellular), whereas UniProt annotates cytosol (UniProt Q96BW5). Record the assay and compartment when comparing images; ICC-IF nuclear staining alone does not establish the expected pattern in paraffin tissue IHC. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Positive-control tissue is blank. | The expected cells may be absent from the section, or the IHC workflow may have failed; High staining is reported for colon glandular and kidney tubule cells (HPA: tissue IHC). | Locate those cells on the counterstained section, verify the catalog antibody's IHC-P procedure, and check that the detection control developed (general IHC practice). |
| All tissue structures stain brown. | Diffuse deposit may reflect detection-system background rather than the cell-resolved cytoplasmic pattern (general IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC pattern). | Review a no-primary section. If it also stains, check endogenous chromogenic activity and blocking; if it is clear, review antibody dilution and washes (general IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes or skeletal myocytes appear strongly positive. | This conflicts with their Not detected HPA entries; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity are possible explanations (HPA: adipose tissue and skeletal muscle IHC; general IHC practice). | Compare a no-primary section and a section containing a recorded High cell population before interpreting the unexpected stain as PTER (general IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC). |
| Signal is confined to membranes or luminal material. | That distribution does not match HPA's mainly cytoplasmic tissue pattern or UniProt's cytosolic, nonmembrane annotation (HPA: tissue IHC; UniProt Q96BW5 topology). | Inspect cell outlines and counterstain, compare the no-primary control, and rescore only convincing intracellular signal (general IHC practice). |
| Nuclear staining appears in an IF/ICC image. | Nucleoplasm is HPA's approved main ICC-IF location, alongside cytosol; the tissue IHC summary is cytoplasmic (HPA: subcellular; HPA: tissue IHC). | Document the assay and compare each result with its own HPA reference. Do not transfer an ICC-IF compartment call directly to paraffin-section IHC. |
| The observed tissue ranking differs from HPA. | HPA reports low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression, pending external verification (HPA: tissue IHC reliability). | Record cell type, compartment, intensity and controls for each section; repeat a discrepant IHC observation before treating the HPA ranking as a firm cutoff (general IHC practice; HPA: reliability). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing PTER staining
A08763 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of PTER in mouse kidney tissue with PTER antibody at 2.5 μg/mL.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000165983-PTER/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_9685764
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000165983-PTER/tissue/colon#imid_9685706
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000165983-PTER/tissue/liver#imid_9685699
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000165983-PTER/tissue/kidney#imid_9685700
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA038045; green = PTER, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA038045; green = PTER, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for PTER IHC & IF
🧪Run kidney first: tubular cells should stain (HPA: High in kidney cells in tubules). Use skeletal muscle myocytes as the negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in myocytes); on the kidney slide, compare staining with adjacent non-tubular cells as an internal background reference without assuming those cells lack PTER.
Positive control tissue: Colon (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show PTER in A-431, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only), an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host and subclass or host-matched nonimmune IgG for a polyclonal antibody, and PTER-knockout tissue or a peptide-block control if the immunizing peptide is available (standard IHC practice). For kidney, quench endogenous peroxidase and block endogenous biotin if using avidin–biotin detection (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window and fixation effect are unreported, and the selected A08763 tissue-IHC caption does not state a fixative (selected A08763 caption: fixative not stated). Retrieval dependency is unreported; optimize antigen retrieval for paraffin-section IHC, with no supplied evidence that frozen sections or IF are easier. Kidney endogenous peroxidase or biotin may cause background (standard IHC practice), and localization needs cautious interpretation because the sources differ (UniProt Q96BW5: cytosol; HPA ICC-IF: mainly nucleoplasm, additionally cytosol).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for PTER
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
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colon | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Fallopian tube | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Gallbladder | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Kidney | Cells in tubules | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Pancreas | Exocrine glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Ovary | Ovarian stroma cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Skeletal muscle | Myocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Smooth muscle | Smooth muscle cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced PTER IHC Tips
Troubleshoot PTER staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, controls, cellular distribution, and scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.
What retrieval should I try first when PTER staining is weak?
Start with citrate buffer at pH 6.0, heated to 95–98 °C for 20 minutes (page retrieval setting). After cooling, compare staining in matched sections using the same antibody concentration, detection reagents, and development time (standard IHC practice). PTER is annotated as cytosolic and has no transmembrane segment, but those annotations do not establish which retrieval condition exposes the antibody epitope (UniProt Q96BW5). If signal remains weak, test an alternative retrieval buffer on adjacent sections and judge improvement against both expected cellular staining and background (standard IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC: cytoplasmic expression in most tissues).
How should I troubleshoot variable PTER staining between paraffin blocks?
Keep fixation history, section thickness, retrieval, and staining run consistent when comparing paraffin blocks (standard IHC practice). Target-specific PTER sensitivity to fixation is unknown; the selected mouse kidney IHC caption reports 2.5 µg/mL antibody but does not state a fixative (A08763 tissue-IHC caption). Compare blocks with documented processing histories in the same run, using the page’s citrate pH 6.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 minutes (page retrieval setting; standard IHC practice). Record whether variability follows processing batches or particular cell populations before changing antibody concentration, since a processing difference and a biological difference call for different follow-up controls (standard IHC practice).
Which staining compartment should count as convincing PTER signal?
For chromogenic IHC, assess cytoplasmic signal within identifiable cells first: PTER is annotated in the cytosol, and tissue IHC reports cytoplasmic expression in most tissues (UniProt Q96BW5; HPA tissue IHC). HPA ICC/IF additionally reports an approved main nucleoplasmic location and cytosolic location, so nuclear staining deserves investigation rather than automatic acceptance or rejection in tissue sections (HPA subcellular). PTER has no annotated transmembrane segment or signal peptide, making a purely membrane-rim pattern difficult to reconcile with the supplied protein record (UniProt Q96BW5 topology and processing). Compare each compartment with a no-primary control and with adjacent morphology before scoring it as specific (standard IHC practice).
Can the antibody distinguish PTER isoforms or a masked epitope?
Do not assign an isoform from chromogenic staining alone: the record lists 2 PTER isoforms, while the supplied caption gives no epitope or isoform specificity (UniProt Q96BW5 isoforms; A08763 tissue-IHC caption). The annotated protein is a 349-residue chain without a signal peptide, propeptide, or annotated glycosylation sites (UniProt Q96BW5 processing and glycosylation). If staining changes after retrieval, compare adjacent sections under the same detection conditions before attributing the change to epitope accessibility (standard IHC practice). For an isoform-specific conclusion, obtain the antibody’s mapped immunogen or epitope and compare it with both isoform sequences; the supplied evidence cannot establish that distinction (UniProt Q96BW5 isoforms; A08763 tissue-IHC caption).
How can IF help resolve ambiguous PTER staining in tissue?
Use IF as a separate validation experiment and pair PTER with a marker for the cell population being assessed, such as tubular cells when investigating kidney staining (HPA tissue IHC: high in kidney tubular cells; standard IF practice). Select spectrally separated fluorophores after checking tissue autofluorescence in unstained sections, and include single-stain controls for multiplex imaging (standard IF practice). Because PTER is annotated as cytosolic and HPA ICC/IF also reports nucleoplasmic localization, permeabilise cells sufficiently to access intracellular epitopes and inspect both compartments (UniProt Q96BW5; HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Do not assume the mouse kidney IHC caption establishes an IF fixation or permeabilisation condition; neither is supplied there (A08763 tissue-IHC caption).
What should I check when the chromogenic signal is widespread?
Run a no-primary control through the same detection and chromogen steps to reveal signal from the detection system or tissue itself (standard IHC practice). For a peroxidase and DAB workflow, check the peroxidase block and shorten chromogen development if control sections acquire diffuse color; these are general workflow adjustments (standard IHC practice). Then titrate the primary antibody and review blocking and washes, comparing each change with a matched section stained under the original conditions (standard IHC practice). The selected mouse kidney image used 2.5 µg/mL, which is a documented image condition rather than proof of the best concentration for every paraffin specimen (A08763 tissue-IHC caption).
How should I score PTER staining across specimens? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the scored cell population and compartment before comparing slides; tissue IHC reports high PTER staining in kidney tubular cells and several glandular populations (HPA tissue IHC). An H-score can combine the percentage of cells at each intensity, using 0–3 intensity grades and a 0–300 scale, while percentage positive cells is useful when intensity grading is unreliable (standard IHC practice). Normalize each score to the number of evaluable target cells or the measured area of the target compartment, and record excluded damaged regions (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, antibody concentration, detection, imaging, and scoring thresholds consistent across the comparison (standard IHC practice).
How do I separate genuine PTER staining from tissue artefact?
Favor reproducible cellular staining in the expected population and compartment: kidney tubular cells stain highly in HPA tissue IHC, and PTER is annotated in the cytosol (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q96BW5). Treat staining limited to section edges, necrotic regions, or no-primary controls as suspect, and check the peroxidase block if DAB appears without primary antibody (standard IHC practice). Investigate a strictly membrane-bound pattern or a signal confined to cells reported as undetected, such as adipocytes, using morphology and matched controls (UniProt Q96BW5 topology; HPA tissue IHC: adipocytes not detected; standard IHC practice). HPA rates its tissue staining Approved but reports low consistency with RNA expression and pending external verification, so corroborate unexpected patterns independently (HPA tissue IHC reliability).
Boster reagents
Best PTER / N-acetyltaurine hydrolase IHC Antibodies
A08763 has real IHC data from mouse kidney tissue at 2.5 μg/mL (catalog image caption); human and rat reactivity is listed, but IHC validation is reported for mouse only (catalog datasheet).
Real IHC data
Anti-PTER Antibody
Cat # A08763
A08763 will render with an IHC image of mouse kidney tissue stained at 2.5 μg/mL (catalog image caption). Its listed applications include IHC-P, and its listed reactivity covers human, mouse, and rat; the datasheet reports IHC validation in mouse samples (catalog applications; catalog reactivity; catalog datasheet).
Which to pick: Choose A08763 for paraffin-section tissue IHC (catalog application: IHC-P); its own image caption documents staining in mouse kidney tissue at 2.5 μg/mL, but does not report the fixative (catalog image caption). For IF/ICC, A08763 has no listed application or image data, so there is no validated IF/ICC choice in this catalog (catalog applications; catalog IF images). For cross-species work, A08763 lists human, mouse, and rat reactivity, while the reported IHC validation is limited to mouse samples; clonality is unreported (catalog reactivity; catalog datasheet; catalog clone field).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q96BW5 (PTER_HUMAN, N-acetyltaurine hydrolase).
- Human Protein Atlas. PTER tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
- Human Protein Atlas. PTER subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the cytosol..
- Human Protein Atlas. PTER antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Phosphotriesterase-related protein sensed albuminuria and conferred renal tubular cell activation in membranous nephropathy. Journal of biomedical science 2014 — PMC4012828.
- Targeting MTA1/HIF-1α signaling by pterostilbene in combination with histone deacetylase inhibitor attenuates prostate cancer progression. Cancer medicine 2017 — PMC5673954.
- Pterostilbene Decreases the Antioxidant Defenses of Aggressive Cancer Cells In Vivo: A Physiological Glucocorticoids- and Nrf2-Dependent Mechanism. Antioxidants & redox signaling 2016 — PMC4921902.
- Therapeutic Potential of Gnetin C in Prostate Cancer: A Pre-Clinical Study. Nutrients 2020 — PMC7760540.
- PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15164054 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for PTER (N-acetyltaurine hydrolase). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Citrate pH 6.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: cytoplasmic / membrane antigen). Validated IHC antibody: A08763 at 2.5 μg/mL (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Colon (Glandular cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A08763); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat-induced epitope retrieval in citrate buffer, pH 6.0 , 20 min at 95–98 °C…; 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min , room temperature (standard); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-PTER, 2.5 μg/mL (datasheet A08763); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (standard). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across paraffin sections (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Low antibody–RNA concordance warrants validation (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; epitope coverage needs checking (UniProt); Regulation: Expression regulation is unreported (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q96BW5, HPA tissue IHC · Approved, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm. In addition localized to the…, Datasheet A08763, PMC4012828. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/PTER/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.