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SORD / Sorbitol dehydrogenase · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for SORD
Plan SORD staining in paraffin sections using the catalog antibody at 2 μg/ml with chromogenic detection (datasheet M07851-1). Compare cytoplasmic staining in hepatocytes and prostate glandular cells with adipocytes as a negative control (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
SORD 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 staining in glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | High cytoplasmic staining in glandular cells and hepatocytes (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet M07851-1) | |
| Positive control | Cervix+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 | Antibody staining has medium concordance with RNA (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | RNA higher in cervix, liver, thyroid (HPA tissue IHC: RNA specificity) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended SORD IHC & IF Protocols
Compare the catalog antibody’s paraffin IHC protocol (datasheet: M07851-1) with a published colorectal cancer workflow (PMC12533051).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human liver cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M07851-1) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M07851-1); 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 M07851-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet M07851-1) |
| Primary antibody | Mouse monoclonal (clone 12B10G2) anti-SORD, 2 μg/ml (datasheet M07851-1) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet M07851-1) |
| Detection | HRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet M07851-1) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | SORD-positive staining in glandular cells of cervix (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in several glandular cell types with high expression levels in prostate, seminal vesicle, hepatocytes and uterus. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA, pH 8.0 (datasheet: M07851-1); citrate, pH 8, in a pressure cooker is a published alternative (PMC12533051).
Section 2
What Is the Expected SORD Staining Pattern?
SORD staining should be predominantly cytoplasmic in glandular cells, with strong IHC signal reported in prostate, seminal vesicle, cervix, endometrium and thyroid gland, and in hepatocytes (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates tissue staining reliability as Enhanced, with medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC). UniProt reports no transmembrane segment; its mitochondrial and flagellar annotations concern sperm-associated localization (UniProt Q00796 topology and subcellular location).
| Strong cytoplasmic staining in prostate or seminal-vesicle glandular cells, or in hepatocytes. | This matches HPA's High IHC staining in those cell types (HPA tissue IHC). Judge signal within the named cells; a uniformly stained section does not reproduce the reported cell-specific pattern. |
| Strong staining concentrated at ciliary rootlets in fallopian-tube ciliated cells. | This is a specifically reported High pattern (HPA tissue IHC). It can coexist with the broader glandular cytoplasmic pattern; assess the ciliated cells and their rootlets separately. |
| Predominantly nuclear staining where cytoplasmic signal is absent. | This does not match HPA's cytoplasmic tissue profile or approved cytosolic ICC-IF localization (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). Treat it as suspect and check controls before assigning it to SORD. |
| Strong staining in adipocytes or bone-marrow hematopoietic cells. | HPA reports SORD as not detected in those cells (HPA tissue IHC). A reproducible signal there merits investigation for cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity; staining alone cannot identify its cause. |
| No discernible signal in a technically adequate liver section. | HPA reports High hepatocyte staining, and UniProt reports liver expression (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q00796 tissue specificity). Investigate assay performance before interpreting another section as SORD-negative. |
💡Expected SORD appearanceCall a section positive when the expected cells show distinct, predominantly cytoplasmic staining—often High in hepatocytes or specified glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC); dominant nuclear signal, uniform haze or strong staining in HPA-negative cell types is a suspect result requiring controls (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular).
| Tissue and cell choice | HPA reports High staining in hepatocytes and several glandular cell types, but not detected staining in selected adipocytes and hematopoietic cells (HPA tissue IHC). Select controls by the named cell type, not tissue name alone. |
| Antibody evidence | Both listed rabbit polyclonal antibodies, HPA040260 and HPA040621, have Enhanced IHC validation; only HPA040260 has Approved ICC status (HPA antibodies). Those ratings support the reported applications, not identical results under every assay condition. |
| Subcellular context | HPA reports mainly cytosolic ICC-IF localization, with additional acrosome and equatorial-segment signal (HPA subcellular). UniProt places SORD near sperm flagellar mitochondria and plasma membrane (UniProt Q00796 subcellular location). These sperm observations do not make membrane staining the expected pattern throughout tissue. |
| Topology and molecular forms | UniProt lists no transmembrane segment, two isoforms and a 2–357 protein chain (UniProt Q00796 topology, isoforms and processing). Without an antibody epitope map, these entries cannot predict which form the IHC-validated antibody detects. |
| Reported tissue discrepancy | UniProt reports epididymal protein expression and secretion into epididymosomes, while HPA reports epididymal glandular cells as not detected by tissue IHC (UniProt Q00796 tissue specificity and subcellular location; HPA tissue IHC). Treat an epididymal result as assay- and cell-context dependent. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No hepatocyte signal in liver. | The result conflicts with HPA's High hepatocyte staining and UniProt's liver-expression report (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q00796 tissue specificity). | Check section integrity, positive-control performance, retrieval, primary-antibody dilution and chromogenic detection as general IHC workflow checks; no SORD-specific fixation sensitivity is supplied. |
| Nuclear staining dominates. | The compartment conflicts with HPA's cytoplasmic tissue profile and approved cytosolic ICC-IF localization (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). | Compare a known-positive section with a primary-omission control; review blocking and chromogen background before scoring nuclear signal as specific (general IHC practice). |
| Strong signal appears in adipocytes or marrow hematopoietic cells. | Those cell types are not detected in HPA tissue IHC; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible, but the image alone cannot distinguish them (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Run appropriate negative and detection-only controls, then compare the cell-specific pattern with an HPA-positive tissue (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC). |
| Diffuse color obscures cell boundaries. | A widespread haze prevents assessment of HPA's reported cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern (HPA tissue IHC); inadequate blocking, washing or detection controls can cause background (general IHC practice). | Review the negative control, blocking, wash steps, primary-antibody dilution and chromogen development; rescore only when individual positive cells remain distinguishable (general IHC practice). |
| Epididymal glandular cells appear negative. | HPA records them as not detected, despite UniProt reporting SORD protein in epididymis and epididymosomes (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q00796 tissue specificity and subcellular location). | Do not use this discrepancy alone to declare assay failure. Check a separate HPA-positive cell type, such as hepatocytes, before interpreting the epididymal section (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Q: Can approved ICC-IF localization set the IHC-P staining pattern or protocol? | ICC-IF images support mainly cytosolic localization and additional sperm-region signal; tissue IHC reports cell-specific staining in sections (HPA subcellular; HPA tissue IHC). | A: Use the tissue IHC pattern to interpret paraffin sections. Consult the separate IF/ICC guide for fluorescence work; ICC approval does not supply IHC-P conditions (HPA antibodies; HPA tissue IHC). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing SORD staining
M07851-1 · IHCIHC analysis of Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD using anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD antibody (M07851-1). Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD was dete
M07851-1 · IHCIHC analysis of Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD using anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD antibody (M07851-1). Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD was dete
A07851-1 · IHCIHC analysis of Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD using anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD antibody (A07851-1). Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD was d
A07851-1 · IHCIHC analysis of Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD using anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD antibody (A07851-1). Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD was d
A07851-1 · IFIF analysis of Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD using anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD antibody (A07851-1). Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/ SORD was de
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000140263-SORD/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_10814583
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000140263-SORD/tissue/colon#imid_10818821
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000140263-SORD/tissue/liver#imid_10818830
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000140263-SORD/tissue/kidney#imid_10818839
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA040260; green = SORD, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA040260; green = SORD, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for SORD IHC & IF
🧪Run liver first and require staining in hepatocytes (HPA: High in hepatocytes). Use adipose tissue as the negative comparator (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the liver slide, cells independently verified as SORD-negative should show counterstain without specific DAB staining.
Positive control tissue: Cervix (Glandular cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show SORD in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, Sperm, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only section and an isotype-matched mouse IgG control at the primary antibody concentration (caption: mouse primary, 2 μg/ml), plus a SORD knockout specimen processed in parallel as a biological negative. Quench endogenous peroxidase in liver sections and assess background with the no-primary control (caption: HRP/DAB detection).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected-SKU tissue-IHC caption does not state the fixative; its paraffin section does not establish fixation. The reported IHC result used heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, so start there and verify retrieval on the chosen tissue (caption: liver cancer section, EDTA retrieval). The supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier; liver endogenous peroxidase can confound chromogenic staining (caption: HRP/DAB detection). The selected M07851-1 tissue-IHC caption documents paraffin sections, but does not specify the fixative (selected-SKU IHC image M07851-1).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for SORD
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Enhanced — Medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data.). Rows are taken directly from the HPA tissue chart — click any row's HPA link to view the source.
Positive expression · recommended positive controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cervix | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Endometrium | Glandular cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Fallopian tube | Ciliated cells (ciliary rootlets) | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Liver | Hepatocytes | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Nasopharynx | Basal 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 → |
| Bronchus | Basal cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Caudate | Glial cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebellum | Cells in granular layer | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced SORD IHC Tips
Troubleshoot SORD staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell identity and localisation before comparing staining intensity across specimens.
What retrieval should I start with when SORD staining is weak?
Use heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for paraffin SORD IHC (datasheet M07851-1). The selected tissue image used that retrieval before overnight incubation with 2 μg/ml antibody at 4°C (caption M07851-1). If staining is weak, check that sections were fully deparaffinised and that heating reached the intended temperature throughout the batch (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval conditions identical between positive controls and study sections so a processing difference does not masquerade as altered SORD expression (standard IHC practice). Record heating and cooling conditions because the caption supplies no retrieval duration (caption M07851-1).
Could fixation explain variable SORD staining between paraffin specimens?
Target-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected paraffin specimen has no reported fixative (caption M07851-1). Record each specimen’s fixative and processing history before attributing weak staining to low SORD expression (standard IHC practice). Compare sections processed together using the same EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and antibody conditions (datasheet M07851-1; standard IHC practice). Include a known positive tissue section in each run, such as liver with hepatocyte staining, to reveal a run-wide failure (HPA: High in hepatocytes; standard IHC practice). Interpret differences between differently fixed specimens cautiously until matched processing controls are available (standard IHC practice).
Should I expect cytoplasmic or membrane staining in SORD IHC?
In routine tissue sections, assess SORD primarily as cytoplasmic staining in the expected cells (HPA: cytoplasmic expression in glandular cell types and hepatocytes). HPA places the main subcellular signal in the cytosol, while UniProt also describes association with a mitochondrial membrane and sperm flagellum (HPA subcellular: Cytosol; UniProt Q00796 subcellular location). SORD has no annotated transmembrane segment, so a sharp continuous cell-surface outline needs independent confirmation (UniProt Q00796 topology; standard IHC interpretation). For sperm-associated material, acrosomal or equatorial signal may be relevant, but those patterns should not be imposed on ordinary glandular tissue (HPA subcellular: Acrosome and Equatorial segment; standard IHC interpretation).
Can this stain distinguish SORD isoforms or modification states?
Do not assign this IHC signal to a specific isoform unless the antibody epitope has been mapped against both reported SORD isoforms (UniProt Q00796: 2 isoforms; standard antibody validation practice). The supplied product image establishes staining in a paraffin liver cancer section, but does not identify an isoform-selective epitope (caption M07851-1). UniProt annotates an acetylated residue at position 2 and phosphoserines at 211 and 225, without evidence here that they affect antibody binding (UniProt Q00796 modified residues). Compare staining with an independent antibody or orthogonal expression evidence before attributing a changed pattern to splicing or modification (standard IHC validation practice).
How can IF help assess a disputed SORD IHC pattern?
Use IF as a separate localisation check and first establish that the antibody works under the chosen IF conditions (standard IF validation practice). Multiplex SORD with a marker for the expected cell population, such as a hepatocyte marker in liver, to test whether signal belongs to the cells scored by IHC (HPA: High in hepatocytes; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores and imaging channels after measuring tissue autofluorescence in an unstained control (standard IF practice). For a cytosol-facing epitope, test permeabilisation; because this antibody’s epitope is unspecified, do not infer its accessibility from SORD’s membrane association alone (HPA subcellular: Cytosol; UniProt Q00796 topology; standard IF practice).
How do I reduce diffuse brown staining without losing SORD signal?
Check a no-primary control to separate detection background from antibody-dependent staining (standard IHC practice). Block endogenous peroxidase before HRP and DAB development, especially when diffuse colour obscures cell boundaries (standard chromogenic IHC practice). The selected image used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and a peroxidase-conjugated secondary (caption M07851-1). If background persists, titrate the primary antibody and verify that washes remove unbound reagent while keeping the positive control visible (standard IHC practice). Score SORD in the expected cells rather than treating uniform staining across unrelated structures as specific (HPA tissue IHC profile; standard IHC interpretation).
What should I quantify when comparing SORD across tissue sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the scored cell population before measuring intensity; HPA reports high SORD staining in hepatocytes and several glandular cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). For chromogenic IHC, report the percentage of positive target cells and an intensity-based H-score from 0–300 when staining grades can be assigned consistently (standard IHC scoring practice). Normalise cell counts to viable target cells, or report positive-cell density per mm² of viable target tissue when architecture prevents reliable cell counting (standard IHC quantification practice). Apply one threshold, counterstain assessment and region-selection rule across all compared sections (standard IHC quantification practice). Exclude necrosis and damaged edges from the scored area (standard IHC practice).
How can I tell genuine SORD staining from an artefact?
A credible positive pattern should occur in the expected cells and largely cytoplasmic compartment, such as hepatocytes or prostate glandular cells (HPA: High in hepatocytes and prostate glandular cells; HPA subcellular: Cytosol). Treat strong edge staining, necrotic deposits or broad cell-surface outlines cautiously when they lack matching staining in intact target cells (standard IHC interpretation; UniProt Q00796 topology). Review no-primary and peroxidase-block controls for endogenous enzyme signal before calling brown precipitate SORD (standard chromogenic IHC practice). HPA rates its tissue evidence Enhanced but reports only medium consistency with RNA expression, so disagreement merits orthogonal validation (HPA tissue IHC reliability). Interpret intensity alongside cell identity and section quality (standard IHC interpretation).
Boster reagents
Best SORD / Sorbitol dehydrogenase IHC Antibodies
Anti-SORD antibodies have IHC data from paraffin sections of human tumors and rat kidney, plus IF data from A431 cells (catalog image captions).
Real IHC data
Anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD Antibody ® (monoclonal, 12B10G2)
Cat # M07851-1
Real IHC data
Anti-Sorbitol Dehydrogenase/SORD Antibody ®
Cat # A07851-1
M07851-1 has IHC images from paraffin sections of human liver cancer, renal clear cell carcinoma, and kidney tumor tissue, and rat kidney (M07851-1 IHC captions). A07851-1 has IHC images from paraffin sections of human liver and rectal cancer tissue and an IF image from A431 cells (A07851-1 IHC and IF captions).
Which to pick: For paraffin-section IHC, both SKUs have images using EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 and 2 μg/ml primary antibody; the fixative is unreported for both (M07851-1 and A07851-1 IHC captions). Choose A07851-1 for IF/ICC because those applications are listed and its IF image shows staining in A431 cells at 5 μg/ml (A07851-1 catalog applications and IF caption). For cross-species planning, A07851-1 lists human, monkey, mouse, and rat reactivity, while monoclonal M07851-1 lists human, mouse, and rat; the IHC images document human tissue for A07851-1 and human and rat tissue for M07851-1 (catalog reactivity and IHC captions).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q00796 (DHSO_HUMAN, Sorbitol dehydrogenase).
- Human Protein Atlas. SORD tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. SORD subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the cytosol. In addition localized to the acrosome and equatorial segment..
- Human Protein Atlas. SORD antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- Evidence of fructose metabolism in colorectal cancer. Cell death discovery 2025 — PMC12533051.
- Polyol pathway-generated fructose is indispensable for growth and survival of non-small cell lung cancer. Cell death and differentiation 2025 — PMC11982217.
- Fructose and glucose from sugary drinks enhance colorectal cancer metastasis via SORD. Nature metabolism 2025 — PMC12552132.
- PubMed PMID:8088829 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:7782086 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:9183016 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for SORD (Sorbitol dehydrogenase). Expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in glandular cells (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet M07851-1). Validated IHC antibody: M07851-1 at 2 μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Cervix (Glandular cells); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human liver cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M07851-1); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M07851-1); 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 M07851-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet M07851-1); 8. Primary antibody: Mouse monoclonal (clone 12B10G2) anti-SORD, 2 μg/ml (datasheet M07851-1); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet M07851-1). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: Antibody staining has medium concordance with RNA (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt); Regulation: RNA higher in cervix, liver, thyroid (HPA tissue IHC: RNA specificity). Evidence: UniProt Q00796, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the cytosol. In addition localized to the…, Datasheet M07851-1, PMC12533051. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/SORD/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.