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SLC30A8 / Proton-coupled zinc antiporter SLC30A8 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for SLC30A8
Plan chromogenic IHC for SLC30A8 in human pancreatic islets, where strong cytoplasmic staining is reported (HPA tissue IHC). Use the catalog antibody’s IHC-P conditions to guide staining (datasheet A01310-1), and compare endocrine-cell signal with appropriate controls (standard IHC practice).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
SLC30A8 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 | Islet cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC); vesicle membrane (UniProt) | |
| Staining pattern | Strong cytoplasmic staining in pancreatic endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01310-1) | |
| Positive control | Pancreas | |
| Negative control | Adipose tissue+4 more · see all |
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
| Fixation | Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image A01310-1) | |
| Caveat | Fat expression does not establish adipocyte IHC staining (UniProt tissue specificity; HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Lower subcutaneous fat expression in obesity (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; epitope coverage unknown; topology matters (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended SLC30A8 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is accompanied by one published SLC30A8 immunohistochemistry protocol for paraffin-embedded sections (PMC10328108).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human pancreas tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01310-1) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01310-1); 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 A01310-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A01310-1) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-SLC30A8, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A01310-1) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01310-1) |
| Detection | HRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet A01310-1) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | SLC30A8-positive staining in pancreatic endocrine cells of pancreas (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Strong cytoplasmic expression in Islets of Langerhans. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteTry heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval first (datasheet: A01310-1); citrate retrieval is the published alternative (PMC10328108).
Section 2
What Is the Expected SLC30A8 Staining Pattern?
SLC30A8 is a six-pass membrane protein associated with secretory vesicles and the cell membrane (UniProt Q8IWU4 topology and subcellular location). In pancreatic sections, expect strong cytoplasmic staining in islets, principally in insulin-producing beta cells (HPA tissue IHC: High in pancreatic endocrine cells; UniProt Q8IWU4 tissue specificity). HPA rates the tissue IHC pattern Enhanced, citing agreement between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC: Enhanced).
| Strong, granular cytoplasmic staining is concentrated in pancreatic islets, with little staining in surrounding tissue. | This fits the reported strong islet pattern (HPA tissue IHC: High in pancreatic endocrine cells) and secretory-vesicle association (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location). Interpret the granularity alongside islet morphology; chromogenic IHC alone does not identify individual granules (general IHC practice). |
| Predominantly nuclear staining appears in pancreatic endocrine cells. | A nuclear-dominant pattern conflicts with the reported vesicle and membrane locations (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). Check antibody and detection controls before scoring it as SLC30A8; nuclear colour can reflect nonspecific staining or detection artefact (general IHC practice). |
| Strong colour appears in adipocytes or other cells outside the expected pancreatic islet pattern. | HPA reports adipocytes as Not detected by tissue IHC, while its strongest reported signal is in pancreatic endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC). Review morphology and controls for cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity (general IHC practice). An unexpected result needs validation; it does not establish a new expression pattern. |
| Pale, diffuse colour covers positive and negative regions of the section. | A uniform haze does not match the concentrated islet staining reported by HPA (HPA tissue IHC). In chromogenic IHC, incomplete blocking, excess detection signal or inadequate washing can raise background (general IHC practice). Compare a primary-omission control and a negative tissue area before interpreting weak colour. |
| A well-preserved pancreatic section shows no endocrine-cell signal. | This conflicts with HPA's High pancreatic endocrine-cell staining (HPA tissue IHC). Check that islets are present, then review the IHC-validated antibody, detection reagents and a positive control (general IHC practice). Absence of colour alone cannot distinguish a technical failure from an unexpected specimen result. |
💡Expected SLC30A8 appearanceCall a section positive when pancreatic islets show strong cytoplasmic, often granular colour (HPA tissue IHC: High in pancreatic endocrine cells; UniProt Q8IWU4 secretory-vesicle location); nuclear-dominant or widespread adipocyte colour is suspect (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location; HPA tissue IHC: adipocytes Not detected).
| Cell and tissue selection | Pancreatic endocrine cells provide the HPA High IHC reference; adipocytes are reported Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). UniProt specifies beta-cell expression within the endocrine pancreas (UniProt Q8IWU4 tissue specificity). Score cell populations separately rather than averaging colour across a whole section (general IHC practice). |
| Compartment and epitope interpretation | SLC30A8 has six transmembrane segments and cytoplasmic and vesicle-lumenal regions (UniProt Q8IWU4 topology). Its vesicle-membrane location supports cytoplasmic granularity, but the payload gives no antibody epitope; it cannot predict which molecular face a stain detects (UniProt Q8IWU4 topology; general IHC interpretation). |
| Antibody evidence | HPA rates tissue IHC Enhanced and lists HPA076165 as IHC Enhanced (HPA tissue IHC; HPA antibodies). HPA065953 is listed as ICC Supported, without an IHC status (HPA antibodies). Keep those assay validations distinct when selecting a reagent or interpreting a discrepant image. |
| Antigen retrieval | Retrieval conditions are an IHC-P workflow variable to verify against the chosen antibody instructions and controls (general IHC practice). Neither the supplied HPA pattern nor UniProt topology establishes an SLC30A8-specific retrieval condition or fixation effect (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8IWU4 topology). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Pancreatic islets are present, but chromogenic signal is absent. | The result conflicts with HPA's High endocrine-cell IHC signal (HPA tissue IHC); a failed primary or detection step is possible (general IHC practice). | Confirm islet morphology and run a known-positive pancreatic control; review the chosen antibody's IHC-P instructions, retrieval, dilution and detection steps (general IHC practice). No target-specific dilution or retrieval setting is supplied here. |
| Colour is strong in nuclei but weak in islet cytoplasm. | Nuclear dominance is discordant with vesicle and membrane localization (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). Nonspecific staining remains possible (general IHC practice). | Compare a primary-omission control with the stained section; reassess localization using cell morphology and an IHC-validated antibody (general IHC practice; HPA antibodies: HPA076165 IHC Enhanced). |
| Adipocytes stain strongly alongside pancreatic endocrine cells. | HPA reports adipocytes as Not detected by tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC). Endogenous detection activity or antibody cross-reactivity may produce unexpected colour (general IHC practice). | Check a primary-omission control and the detection system; score adipocytes and endocrine cells separately (general IHC practice). Treat persistent adipocyte staining as unconfirmed rather than extending the HPA IHC pattern. |
| Weak colour spreads across the entire section. | Diffuse background can arise from blocking, washing or detection conditions (general IHC practice); it obscures HPA's concentrated islet pattern (HPA tissue IHC). | Compare positive and negative regions and a primary-omission control; review blocking, washing and chromogen development under the chosen IHC-P workflow (general IHC practice). |
| Two antibodies give different tissue or compartment patterns. | HPA lists HPA076165 as IHC Enhanced but HPA065953 as ICC Supported, with no IHC status for the latter (HPA antibodies). Assay evidence therefore differs. | For paraffin IHC, interpret each reagent against its assay validation and pancreatic positive control; inspect staining by cell type and compartment (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). |
| IF/ICC: what localization should be expected? | HPA reports vesicles as Approved and plasma membrane as Supported in ICC-IF (HPA subcellular ICC-IF); UniProt also places SLC30A8 at secretory-vesicle and cell membranes (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location). | Look for vesicular signal with possible plasma-membrane signal, using the separate IF/ICC guide for assay design (HPA subcellular ICC-IF). HPA065953 has ICC Supported status; its listing does not confer IHC validation (HPA antibodies). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing SLC30A8 staining
A01310-1 · IHCIHC analysis of ZNT8/SLC30A using anti-ZNT8/SLC30A antibody (A01310-1). ZNT8/SLC30A was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human pan
A01310-1 · IFIF analysis of ZNT8/SLC30A using anti-ZNT8/SLC30A antibody (A01310-1). ZNT8/SLC30A was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human panc
A01310 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of SLC30A8 in human pancreas tissue with SLC30A8 Antibody at 5 μg/mL.
A01310 · IFImmunofluorescence of SLC30A8 in human pancreas tissue with SLC30A8 Antibody at 20 μg/mL.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164756-SLC30A8/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_20517267
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164756-SLC30A8/tissue/colon#imid_20517193
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164756-SLC30A8/tissue/liver#imid_20517186
HPA · PancreasHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Pancreas. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000164756-SLC30A8/tissue/pancreas#imid_20517145
HPA · ICC-IF EFO-21Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, EFO-21, antibody HPA065953; green = SLC30A8, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF EFO-21Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, EFO-21, antibody HPA065953; green = SLC30A8, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for SLC30A8 IHC & IF
🧪Run pancreas first: pancreatic endocrine cells should stain strongly (HPA: High in pancreatic endocrine cells). Use adrenal glandular cells as a negative tissue (HPA: Not detected in adrenal glandular cells); surrounding nonendocrine cells on the pancreas slide should show only background staining relative to the endocrine cells (HPA: High in pancreatic endocrine cells).
Positive control tissue: Pancreas (Pancreatic endocrine cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show SLC30A8 in EFO-21, HEL, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Vesicles (approved), Plasma membrane (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control, a matched nonimmune rabbit IgG isotype control, and a biological negative such as SLC30A8 knockout tissue or a validated peptide-block control (selected-SKU caption: rabbit primary and anti-rabbit IgG secondary; standard IHC practice). Quench endogenous peroxidase in pancreas sections before HRP/DAB detection (selected-SKU caption: HRP/DAB detection; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: No target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is reported, and the selected-SKU pancreas caption does not state a fixative (selected-SKU caption: fixative not stated). The reported paraffin-section staining used heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0; this documents a working retrieval condition, but does not establish whether retrieval is required (selected-SKU caption: EDTA pH 8.0). The supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier; assess signal in pancreatic endocrine cells against neighboring tissue background (HPA: High in pancreatic endocrine cells; standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for SLC30A8
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
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pancreas | Pancreatic endocrine cells | High | 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 → |
| Appendix | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced SLC30A8 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot SLC30A8 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cellular pattern, controls, and scoring against its secretory vesicle localisation.
Which retrieval conditions should I start with for SLC30A8 IHC?
Start with heat mediated antigen retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 (datasheet A01310-1). The selected paraffin section image used this retrieval before staining human pancreas with the catalog antibody at 2 μg/ml overnight at 4°C (caption A01310-1). If signal is weak, compare retrieval heating and cooling conditions across adjacent sections while keeping antibody concentration and detection constant (standard IHC practice). Judge each condition by endocrine cell staining and preserved morphology, rather than by overall DAB intensity alone (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Record retrieval duration so the selected condition can be reproduced (standard IHC practice).
How should I troubleshoot fixation when SLC30A8 staining varies?
Target specific fixation sensitivity is unknown because the selected paraffin section caption does not state a fixative (caption A01310-1). Record the fixative, fixation duration, processing history, and section age for every specimen before comparing staining intensity (standard IHC practice). Run differently processed specimens in the same IHC batch with the same EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and detection conditions (datasheet A01310-1; standard IHC practice). If endocrine staining varies with processing history, assess matched adjacent sections and tissue morphology before assigning a biological difference (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Do not use staining intensity alone to diagnose a fixation effect (standard IHC practice).
What staining pattern should I expect in pancreatic sections?
Expect staining in pancreatic endocrine cells, with strong cytoplasmic expression reported in islets (HPA tissue IHC). SLC30A8 localises to secretory vesicle membranes and the cell membrane and is associated with insulin and glucagon secretory granules (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location). Examine cellular distribution at high magnification before calling diffuse staining specific; a cytoplasmic pattern can reflect numerous stained vesicles in a section (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location). Compare islet staining with surrounding tissue on the same slide and with a negative control section (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Document membrane staining separately from cytoplasmic staining (standard IHC practice).
Could epitope location explain variable SLC30A8 IHC staining?
SLC30A8 has 2 annotated isoforms and 6 transmembrane segments, but the supplied antibody evidence does not identify its epitope or isoform coverage (UniProt Q8IWU4 isoforms and topology; caption A01310-1). The annotated cytoplasmic regions include residues 1–79 and 267–369, while several short loops face the vesicle lumen (UniProt Q8IWU4 topology). Check the antibody's epitope documentation before interpreting a negative section as loss of both isoforms (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval and staining conditions matched when comparing specimens because epitope accessibility can affect immunostaining (standard IHC practice). Report the antibody and any confirmed epitope coverage with the result (standard IHC practice).
How can I assess SLC30A8 by multiplex IF alongside this IHC guide?
Use a marker of pancreatic endocrine cells to assess whether SLC30A8 fluorescence occurs in the expected cells (HPA tissue IHC; standard IF practice). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and check unstained sections for tissue autofluorescence before interpreting apparent colocalisation (standard IF practice). Because SLC30A8 spans the secretory vesicle membrane, match permeabilisation to the antibody's documented epitope side; its cytoplasmic and vesicle lumenal regions have different accessibility (UniProt Q8IWU4 topology; standard IF practice). The selected product caption documents chromogenic staining in a paraffin section, so establish IF performance with appropriate secondary only and staining controls (caption A01310-1; standard IF practice). Compare fluorescence patterns with the expected vesicle and membrane localisation (UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location).
How do I reduce diffuse or patchy DAB background?
First compare the stained section with a primary antibody omission control and inspect whether background follows tissue edges, folds, or damaged areas (standard IHC practice). The selected image used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and DAB detection (caption A01310-1). Optimise blocking and antibody concentration systematically while preserving the endocrine cell signal expected in pancreas (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Include a peroxidase blocking step when using HRP and DAB, and assess endogenous pigment separately from chromogen deposition (standard IHC practice). Keep development time consistent across comparison slides (standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify SLC30A8 staining across pancreatic sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define pancreatic endocrine cells as the scoring population before measuring SLC30A8, because strong islet cytoplasmic expression is the reported tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Use the percentage of positive endocrine cells and an intensity weighted H-score, recording the scoring thresholds and DAB exposure conditions (standard IHC practice). Normalise positive cell counts to the total endocrine cells assessed, or report stained cell density per mm² of analysed endocrine area (standard IHC practice). Score matched sections with the same retrieval and detection settings, and exclude folds, edges, and necrotic regions consistently (standard IHC practice). Report staining distribution alongside summary scores (standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent SLC30A8 positive result likely to be artefactual?
A convincing pancreatic result places staining in endocrine cells with cytoplasmic or vesicle associated distribution, consistent with the reported islet pattern and protein localisation (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location). Treat staining restricted to tissue edges, folds, or necrotic areas as suspect and inspect adjacent intact tissue (standard IHC practice). Check unexpected staining in other cell populations against a primary antibody omission control and the expected compartment before assigning SLC30A8 expression (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q8IWU4 subcellular location). With HRP and DAB detection, assess endogenous peroxidase activity and pigment as potential sources of apparent signal (caption A01310-1; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents
Best SLC30A8 / Proton-coupled zinc antiporter SLC30A8 IHC Antibodies
Two human-reactive anti-SLC30A8 antibodies have IHC and IF images from human pancreas (catalog reactivity; IHC/IF image captions).
Real IHC data
Anti-ZNT8/SLC30A Antibody
Cat # A01310-1
Real IHC data
Anti-Zinc transporter 8 SLC30A8 Antibody
Cat # A01310
A01310-1 is listed for IHC and IF in human samples, with both images showing human pancreas; its IHC image documents a paraffin section (A01310-1 applications and image captions). A01310 is listed for IHC-P and IF in human samples, with both images showing human pancreas (A01310 applications and image captions).
Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A01310-1 when a documented paraffin-section workflow is useful: its caption specifies EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0, 2 μg/ml primary antibody and DAB detection; the fixative is unreported (A01310-1 IHC image caption). For IF, A01310-1 has a paraffin-section image at 5 μg/ml, while A01310 has a human-pancreas image at 20 μg/mL; ICC is not listed for either (IF image captions; catalog applications). Neither has listed reactivity beyond human, and clonality is unreported, so neither has a documented cross-species or clonality advantage (catalog reactivity and clone fields).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q8IWU4 (ZNT8_HUMAN, Proton-coupled zinc antiporter SLC30A8).
- Human Protein Atlas. SLC30A8 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. SLC30A8 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the plasma membrane and vesicles..
- Human Protein Atlas. SLC30A8 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Expression analysis of loci associated with type 2 diabetes in human tissues. Diabetologia 2010 — PMC10328108.
- Deletion of the mouse Slc30a8 gene encoding zinc transporter-8 results in impaired insulin secretion. The Biochemical journal 2009 — PMC2929527.
- PubMed PMID:15331542 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:14702039 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:17974005 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for SLC30A8 (Proton-coupled zinc antiporter SLC30A8). Expected localisation Islet cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC); vesicle membrane (UniProt). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A01310-1). Validated IHC antibody: A01310-1 at 2-5 μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Pancreas (Pancreatic endocrine cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human pancreas tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A01310-1); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A01310-1); 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 A01310-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A01310-1); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-SLC30A8, 2-5 μg/ml (datasheet A01310-1); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A01310-1). Watch for: Fixation: Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image A01310-1); Caveat: Fat expression does not establish adipocyte IHC staining (UniProt tissue specificity; HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; epitope coverage unknown; topology matters (UniProt); Regulation: Lower subcutaneous fat expression in obesity (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q8IWU4, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · plasma membrane and vesicles., Datasheet A01310-1, PMC10328108. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/SLC30A8/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.