STMN1 / Stathmin · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for STMN1

This guide maps cytoplasmic STMN1 staining in paraffin sections to positive cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). It covers the catalog antibody’s IHC conditions and practical fixation and cell specific scoring (datasheet M01194; standard IHC practice).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for STMN1 (IHC for STMN1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M01194, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable STMN1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M01194, controls and protocol steps. Open the full STMN1 IHC guide →

STMN1 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 most tissues (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic in most tissues; germinal center cells stain strongly (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet M01194)
Positive control ⓘ Bone marrow+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 paraffin section fixation consistent across samples (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Colon endocrine cells can stain strongly (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Brain enriched expression (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 2 isoforms; isoform epitope coverage is unspecified (UniProt; datasheet M01194)
Section 1

Recommended STMN1 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody IHC-P protocol (datasheet: M01194) is accompanied by four published STMN1 IHC protocols (PMC9944248; PMC5564402; PMC4317896; PMC6129035).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human colon tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M01194)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M01194); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 (datasheet M01194); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet M01194)
Primary antibodyRabbit monoclonal (clone DDA-19) anti-STMN1, 1:50 (datasheet M01194)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet M01194)
DetectionHRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet M01194)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultSTMN1-positive staining in hematopoietic cells of bone marrow (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in most tissues, including brain and lymphoid tissues. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet: M01194). Use a paper’s retrieval conditions when following its antibody and tissue protocol (cited PMC).
Section 2

What Is the Expected STMN1 Staining Pattern?

STMN1 should appear mainly in the cytoplasm, consistent with its cytoplasmic cytoskeleton annotation and lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt P16949). In paraffin tissue sections, expect staining in selected cell populations, especially bone marrow hematopoietic cells, lymph node germinal center cells, and intestinal endocrine cells (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA rates the tissue staining evidence Enhanced, with medium consistency between staining and RNA data (HPA tissue IHC).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells or lymph node germinal center cells, with weaker or absent staining in other cells.This fits the expected compartment and the High staining recorded for those cell populations (UniProt P16949; HPA tissue IHC). Judge cell types individually: HPA reports cytoplasmic expression in most tissues, but its High calls apply to specified cells, not every cell in a section (HPA tissue IHC).
Strong staining confined to nuclei, with little or no cytoplasmic signal.Treat this as a localisation mismatch because UniProt places STMN1 in the cytoplasm and HPA reports cytoplasmic tissue expression (UniProt P16949; HPA tissue IHC). Check morphology, counterstain and detection controls before attributing the nuclear signal to STMN1 (general IHC practice).
Prominent signal in a cell type HPA lists as Not detected, such as adipocytes or cardiomyocytes.This conflicts with the named HPA cell type, though it does not establish that the entire tissue must be negative (HPA tissue IHC). Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity are possibilities; compare an established positive cell population and appropriate detection controls before interpreting the signal (general IHC practice).
Uniform colour across cells, stroma or tissue edges, obscuring cell boundaries.Diffuse background cannot establish the cytoplasmic, cell-selective pattern reported for STMN1 (HPA tissue IHC). Excess detection signal or inadequate blocking are general IHC possibilities; evaluate a section processed without primary antibody and review reagent conditions (general IHC practice).
No visible signal in bone marrow hematopoietic cells or lymph node germinal center cells.These are High staining populations in HPA, so a blank result warrants a run-level check before concluding STMN1 is absent (HPA tissue IHC). Confirm that the positive control, primary antibody and chromogenic detection steps performed as intended (general IHC practice).
💡Expected STMN1 appearanceCall a result positive when identifiable cells show predominantly cytoplasmic staining, particularly High staining populations such as bone marrow hematopoietic cells or lymph node germinal center cells (UniProt P16949; HPA tissue IHC); isolated nuclear staining or strong signal in an HPA Not detected cell type is suspect (HPA tissue IHC).
How each factor affects the staining
Where should IHC signal localise?STMN1 is annotated to the cytoplasm and cytoskeleton, with no transmembrane segment; HPA describes cytoplasmic staining in most tissues (UniProt P16949; HPA tissue IHC). Assess signal against the cell boundary and nuclear counterstain (general IHC practice).
Which cells make useful tissue references?HPA records High staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells, lymph node germinal center cells and several intestinal endocrine cell populations; it records adipocytes and cardiomyocytes as Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). These are cell-specific references, not whole-tissue guarantees.
How strong is the tissue-pattern evidence?HPA labels tissue IHC reliability Enhanced and describes medium consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC). Its listed antibodies HPA068438 and CAB010107 each have Enhanced IHC status (HPA antibodies). Interpret an individual section alongside its controls (general IHC practice).
What do sequence features tell us?UniProt lists two STMN1 isoforms and multiple modified residues, including phosphoserines (UniProt P16949). Without an epitope or modification-specific validation record, these facts do not predict which forms a particular antibody detects or how strongly a section will stain.
IF/ICC Q&A: where is the signal expected?HPA's ICC-IF summary places STMN1 in the cytosol, with Cytosol approved as its main location (HPA subcellular). That supports a cytosolic localisation check in the separate IF/ICC guide; tissue IHC intensity and cell-type expectations come from HPA tissue IHC.
Does this evidence predict a fixation or retrieval effect?Target-specific fixation effects are not established by the supplied assay evidence. Verify with a matched IHC source before attributing a result to fixation.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Known High cell populations are blank.A failed staining run or insufficient assay signal is possible; HPA reports High staining in bone marrow hematopoietic cells and lymph node germinal center cells (HPA tissue IHC).Check the positive control and confirm primary-antibody, retrieval and detection steps; optimise the assay using its validated instructions (general IHC practice). Do not assign a target-specific retrieval requirement from these sources.
Positive cells stain, but the signal is too faint to score.The assay may have insufficient contrast; HPA's High category refers to specified cell populations and does not set a numeric intensity threshold for this run (HPA tissue IHC).Compare the positive control, counterstain and detection timing, then adjust conditions within the antibody's validated IHC workflow (general IHC practice). Record the observed cell type and compartment.
Diffuse colour covers tissue and obscures cells.Nonspecific background or excessive chromogen development is possible (general IHC practice); this appearance does not resolve HPA's cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern (HPA tissue IHC).Inspect the section without primary antibody, review blocking and washes, and reduce detection intensity if controls support that change (general IHC practice).
Signal appears predominantly nuclear.The compartment conflicts with UniProt's cytoplasmic annotation and HPA's cytoplasmic tissue profile (UniProt P16949; HPA tissue IHC).Check the counterstain and cell boundaries, then compare a known positive section and detection control before calling the nuclear signal specific (general IHC practice).
Strong colour appears in adipocytes or cardiomyocytes.HPA lists those particular cells as Not detected; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).Use a no-primary control to assess detection background, and compare morphology and staining with a High cell population in a control section (general IHC practice; HPA tissue IHC).
Chromogenic signal persists in the no-primary control.Background from the detection system, including endogenous enzyme activity where enzyme-based detection is used, is possible (general IHC practice).Review the relevant endogenous-activity block, secondary reagent and detection conditions before interpreting sample staining (general IHC practice).

Sample controls for STMN1 IHC & IF

🧪Run colon first: endocrine cells should stain strongly (HPA: High in colon endocrine cells; selected M01194 tissue-IHC caption: human colon). Use adipose tissue as the negative tissue, focusing on adipocytes (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the colon slide, compare endocrine cells with neighboring cells that lack convincing cytosolic staining, without assuming all other cells are negative (UniProt P16949: ubiquitous expression; HPA: cytosol).
Positive control tissue: Bone marrow (Hematopoietic cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show STMN1 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, Rh30, THP-1, with annotated localisation: Cytosol (approved) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and a concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype control for the rabbit primary (selected M01194 tissue-IHC caption: rabbit anti-STMN1 and peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG). Where available, test a STMN1 knockout specimen as a biological negative; quench endogenous peroxidase in colon sections before HRP/DAB detection, particularly when inflammatory cells are present (selected M01194 tissue-IHC caption: HRP/DAB; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the exact selected-SKU colon caption does not report a fixative (selected M01194 tissue-IHC caption: fixative not stated). Heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 was used with a 1:50 primary dilution, but the caption does not establish that retrieval is required (selected M01194 tissue-IHC caption). The supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier; colon mucosal autofluorescence may complicate IF interpretation (HPA: cytosolic ICC-IF localization; standard IF practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for STMN1

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

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Colon Endocrine cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Duodenum Endocrine cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Endometrium Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Lymph node Germinal center cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Adrenal gland Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bronchus Respiratory epithelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Epididymis Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Fallopian tube Glandular cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced STMN1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot STMN1 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell type, cytoplasmic localisation and controls before comparing staining intensity.

How should I retrieve STMN1 antigen when paraffin sections stain weakly?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for the catalog antibody (datasheet M01194). The documented colon-section workflow used this retrieval before 10% goat-serum blocking and overnight primary incubation at 4°C (caption M01194). If signal remains weak, compare retrieval heating times on serial sections while keeping antibody dilution, detection and imaging conditions fixed (standard IHC practice). Include a colon section and assess its endocrine cells, which show high STMN1 staining in the reference profile (HPA: High in colon endocrine cells). Excessive tissue damage or diffuse staining after longer heating calls for a shorter retrieval time (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven STMN1 staining?
Target-specific sensitivity to fixation is unknown: the selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (caption M01194). Record the fixative and fixation duration for each specimen, then compare serial sections processed with the same EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and detection conditions (datasheet M01194; standard IHC practice). If fixation histories differ, interpret differences in intensity cautiously and use an identically processed reference section in each staining run (standard IHC practice). Check morphology alongside signal, because damaged or poorly preserved areas can make cell-level staining difficult to score (standard IHC practice). Do not assign a particular fixation effect to STMN1 without a controlled comparison (caption M01194).
Where should convincing STMN1 staining appear in a tissue section?
Expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining: STMN1 is associated with the cytoplasm and cytoskeleton, and tissue staining is cytoplasmic in most tissues (UniProt P16949; HPA tissue IHC). Judge the signal within identified cells rather than across the whole section, because colon endocrine cells show high staining while some neighboring cell types may differ (HPA: High in colon endocrine cells). A nuclear-only pattern deserves scrutiny with a no-primary control and an independently validated antibody or orthogonal assay (UniProt P16949 subcellular; standard IHC practice). Compare similarly processed sections at the same magnification and exposure, and inspect cell boundaries before calling diffuse chromogen specific (standard IHC practice).
How can epitope choice affect interpretation of STMN1 staining?
STMN1 has 2 recorded isoforms, but the supplied product evidence does not map the catalog antibody's epitope or establish isoform selectivity (UniProt P16949; caption M01194). Check the antibody's documented immunogen or epitope before attributing differences between samples to either isoform (standard IHC practice). The protein has an SLD region spanning residues 4–145 and multiple modified residues, including phosphoserines at 4, 16 and 25 (UniProt P16949). Without epitope mapping, do not assume those modifications alter this antibody's tissue staining (UniProt P16949; caption M01194). Resolve persistent discrepancies with a second mapped antibody or an orthogonal measurement on matched material (standard IHC practice).
How should I check STMN1 localisation by multiplex immunofluorescence?
For a complementary IF experiment, pair STMN1 with a marker that identifies the expected cell population, such as a validated endocrine-cell marker in colon (HPA: High in colon endocrine cells; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after inspecting unstained tissue autofluorescence; a far-red channel can improve separation when shorter wavelengths show strong background (standard IF practice). Because STMN1 is cytosolic and has no transmembrane segment, use controlled permeabilisation to expose intracellular epitopes while preserving cell boundaries (HPA subcellular; UniProt P16949 topology; standard IF practice). Include single-stain and no-primary controls to assess channel bleed-through and background, then compare the cellular pattern with chromogenic IHC (standard IF practice).
What should I adjust when DAB background obscures STMN1-positive cells?
First compare a no-primary section with the stained section to distinguish detection background from antibody-associated signal (standard IHC practice). The documented colon workflow used 10% goat serum, 1:50 primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and HRP/DAB detection (caption M01194). If background persists, titrate the primary antibody, strengthen washing, and check whether the blocking reagent matches the detection system (standard IHC practice). Apply an endogenous-peroxidase block before HRP detection and inspect a detection-only control, especially where tissue pigments or endogenous activity resemble DAB (standard IHC practice). Preserve the same development time across comparisons so apparent differences remain interpretable (standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify STMN1 staining across tissue samples? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring: STMN1 tissue staining is chiefly cytoplasmic, and its abundance varies by cell type (HPA tissue IHC). For a specified population, record the percentage of positive cells and an intensity category, or calculate an H-score from those categories on a 0–300 scale (standard IHC practice). If counting discrete positive cells, report their density per mm² of viable tissue rather than per image alone (standard IHC practice). Normalise comparisons to the same cell type, viable tissue area, staining batch and scoring threshold (standard IHC practice). Keep the scorer blinded to sample group when feasible (standard IHC practice).
How can I distinguish true STMN1 staining from tissue artefacts?
A credible pattern places signal in the cytoplasm of plausible cells, such as colon endocrine cells or lymph-node germinal-center cells (UniProt P16949 subcellular; HPA: High in colon endocrine cells and lymph-node germinal-center cells). Treat isolated nuclear-only staining cautiously because the supported localisation is cytoplasmic or cytosolic (UniProt P16949; HPA subcellular). Inspect section edges, folds and necrotic regions for staining that tracks tissue damage rather than intact cells (standard IHC practice). Use a no-primary section and an endogenous-peroxidase control to identify chromogen from the detection workflow (standard IHC practice). Confirm unexpected cell patterns with an independent antibody or orthogonal assay before interpreting a biological difference (standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best STMN1 / Stathmin IHC Antibodies

Anti-STMN1 antibodies have IHC images from human colon, placenta, breast carcinoma, and mouse and rat brain; PB9560 also has an IF image in MCF7 cells (catalog image captions).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of STMN1 using anti-STMN1 antibody (M01194). STMN1 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human colon tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH 8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1:50 rabbit anti-STMN1 Antibody (M01194) overnight at 4°C. Peroxidase Conjugated Goat Anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using HRP Conjugated Rabbit IgG Super Vision Assay Kit (Catalog # SV0002) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-Stathmin 1 STMN1 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M01194
Real IHC data IHC analysis of Stathmin 1 using anti-Stathmin 1 antibody (PB9560). Stathmin 1 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human placenta tissue. Heat mediated antigen retrieval was performed in EDTA buffer (pH8.0, epitope retrieval solution). The tissue section was blocked with 10% goat serum. The tissue section was then incubated with 1μg/ml rabbit anti-Stathmin 1 Antibody (PB9560) overnight at 4°C. Biotinylated goat anti-rabbit IgG was used as secondary antibody and incubated for 30 minutes at 37°C. The tissue section was developed using Strepavidin-Biotin-Complex (SABC) (Catalog # SA1022) with DAB as the chromogen.
Anti-Stathmin 1/STMN1 Antibody ®
Cat # PB9560
Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry analysis of paraffin-embedded human breast carcinoma, using Stathmin 1 (Phospho-Ser24) Antibody. The picture on the right is blocked with the phospho peptide.
Anti-Phospho-Op18 (S25) STMN1 Antibody
Cat # A01194S25

M01194 has paraffin-section IHC images from human colon and colon cancer, while PB9560 has paraffin-section IHC images from human placenta and intestinal cancer and mouse and rat brain, plus an IF image in MCF7 cells (catalog image captions). A01194S25 has a phospho-Ser24 IHC image from paraffin-embedded human breast carcinoma with a phosphopeptide-blocked comparison (A01194S25 IHC caption).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose M01194 for paraffin human colon (1:50; rabbit monoclonal DDA-19; M01194 IHC caption and catalog) or A01194S25 when phospho-Ser24 staining is needed (paraffin human breast carcinoma with phosphopeptide block; A01194S25 IHC caption). For IF/ICC, PB9560 has an MCF7 IF image (PB9560 IF caption; catalog: IF/ICC); for cross-species tissue IHC, it has paraffin-section images from human placenta and mouse and rat brain (PB9560 IHC captions). Fixation is unreported in the IHC captions for all three SKUs (M01194, PB9560 and A01194S25 IHC captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry P16949 (STMN1_HUMAN, Stathmin).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. STMN1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. STMN1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the cytosol..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. STMN1 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
  5. Stathmin1 promotes lymph node metastasis in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma via regulation of HIF‑1α/VEGF‑A axis and MTA1 expression. Molecular and clinical oncology 2023 — PMC9944248.
  6. Stathmin1 expression is associated with aggressive phenotypes and cancer stem cell marker expression in breast cancer patients. International journal of oncology 2017 — PMC5564402.
  7. Stathmin1 regulates p27 expression, proliferation and drug resistance, resulting in poor clinical prognosis in cholangiocarcinoma. Cancer science 2014 — PMC4317896.
  8. An Immunohistochemical Study of Stathmin 1 Expression in Osteosarcoma Shows an Association with Metastases and Poor Patient Prognosis. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research 2018 — PMC6129035.
  9. PubMed PMID:2760073 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:2358074 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:1917919 — UniProt-cited evidence.