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STX7 / Syntaxin-7 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for STX7
Plan chromogenic STX7 IHC in paraffin sections using placental Hofbauer cells or tonsil germinal center cells as positive controls (HPA tissue IHC). Start the catalog antibody at 1:50 (datasheet A07855-1) and assess granular cytoplasmic staining (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
STX7 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 | Tissue: granular cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC); protein: early endosome membrane (UniProt) | |
| Staining pattern | Granular cytoplasm, most abundant in lymphoid tissues (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A07855-1) | |
| Positive control | Appendix+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 | In placenta, assess Hofbauer cells specifically (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Expression regulation is unspecified (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | 2 isoforms; check epitope against cytoplasmic residues 2–238 (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended STX7 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is paired with one published STX7 IHC protocol for ovarian tissues (PMC10525231).
| Sample | Paraffin-embedded human ovarian cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A07855-1) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A07855-1); 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 A07855-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% goat serum (datasheet A07855-1) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-STX7, 1:50 recommended; image 2 μg/ml (datasheet A07855-1) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A07855-1) |
| Detection | HRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet A07855-1) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | STX7-positive staining in lymphoid tissue of appendix (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Granular cytoplasmic expression in several tissues, most abundant in lymphoid tissues. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA retrieval at pH 8.0 (datasheet A07855-1); the published excerpt does not specify retrieval conditions (PMC10525231).
Section 2
What Is the Expected STX7 Staining Pattern?
STX7 is an endosomal membrane protein with a cytoplasmic domain spanning residues 2–238 (UniProt O15400 topology). In paraffin-section IHC, expect granular cytoplasmic staining in selected cells, especially lymphoid cells and placental Hofbauer cells (HPA tissue IHC). HPA rates its tissue staining reliability Enhanced, while reporting medium consistency with RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
| Distinct cytoplasmic granules in tonsil or lymph-node germinal center cells, or placental Hofbauer cells. | This matches HPA's High staining in those cell populations (HPA tissue IHC). Granules fit an intracellular vesicular distribution; IHC alone cannot identify the stained organelle (UniProt O15400; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). |
| Predominantly nuclear staining or a smooth, continuous outline of the plasma membrane. | These patterns do not fit the reported granular cytoplasmic tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Check whether the signal also appears in the negative control before assigning it to STX7 (standard IHC practice). |
| Strong staining in adipocytes or liver cholangiocytes while expected positive cells stain weakly. | HPA reports STX7 as Not detected in those cell types (HPA tissue IHC). Consider antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous chromogenic activity, then compare the control and positive tissue (standard IHC practice). |
| A diffuse haze covers cells and extracellular areas, obscuring individual granules. | A broad haze is harder to reconcile with HPA's granular cytoplasmic pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Review background in the negative control and the distribution across compartments (standard IHC practice). |
| No staining in a section containing identifiable germinal center cells or Hofbauer cells. | Those cells are reported as High by HPA, so absent signal warrants a technical check (HPA tissue IHC). Confirm their presence on the section before interpreting a negative result (standard IHC practice). |
💡Expected STX7 appearanceCall a result positive when selected germinal center cells or Hofbauer cells show clear granular cytoplasmic staining consistent with their High HPA levels; isolated nuclear signal or uniform tissue-wide color is suspect (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
| Cell population and tissue context | HPA reports High staining in germinal center cells and Hofbauer cells, but Not detected in adipocytes and cholangiocytes (HPA tissue IHC). Score the named cell population, not the whole organ. |
| Subcellular location | UniProt places STX7 at the early endosome membrane, while HPA ICC-IF supports lysosomal localization (UniProt O15400; HPA subcellular ICC-IF). Granular cytoplasmic IHC is compatible with both; chromogenic IHC does not resolve them. |
| Topology and antibody epitope | STX7 has one transmembrane segment at residues 239–259 and a cytoplasmic region at 2–238 (UniProt O15400 topology). Antibody epitope location is not supplied, so the staining pattern cannot establish which region is recognized. |
| Isoforms and modifications | UniProt lists 2 isoforms and several modified residues (UniProt O15400). Their effects on this antibody's IHC staining are unreported; do not use them to explain a weak or absent slide result. |
| Strength of HPA evidence | HPA labels tissue IHC Enhanced and reports medium agreement between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC). Use its cell-specific observations as a reference while checking each new specimen and control. |
| IF/ICC comparison | For the IF/ICC question, HPA reports supported lysosomal localization and images from A-431, U-251MG and U2OS (HPA subcellular ICC-IF). That evidence informs compartment interpretation; IF/ICC experimental conditions belong in its separate guide. |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Expected positive cells are present, but the IHC slide has no detectable signal. | The assay may have failed, or the sampled cells may be difficult to identify; HPA reports High staining in germinal center and Hofbauer cells (HPA tissue IHC). | Confirm cell identity on the counterstained section; review the catalog antibody's IHC-P procedure, antigen retrieval, detection reagents and positive control (standard IHC practice). |
| Signal appears mainly in nuclei or as a continuous cell-surface rim. | The compartment differs from HPA's granular cytoplasmic tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). | Compare a positive tissue and the negative control; reassess staining specificity before scoring these cells as STX7 positive (standard IHC practice). |
| Adipocytes or cholangiocytes stain strongly. | HPA reports STX7 Not detected in those cells (HPA tissue IHC); cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible (standard IHC practice). | Check the negative control and any tissue pigment; apply appropriate endogenous-activity controls for the chromogenic detection system (standard IHC practice). |
| Granules are visible, but diffuse background makes their boundaries unclear. | Background can obscure the reported granular cytoplasmic distribution (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). | Compare background in the negative control, then review blocking, washing, antibody dilution and chromogen development against the validated IHC procedure (standard IHC practice). |
| A tissue looks negative despite a positive result reported elsewhere in the same organ. | HPA's levels refer to specified cells: for example, kidney proximal tubules (microvilli) are High, while liver cholangiocytes are Not detected (HPA tissue IHC). | Identify and score the relevant cell population on the section before comparing results across tissues or regions (standard IHC practice). |
| IHC granules are interpreted as proof of lysosomal localization. | HPA supports lysosomes in ICC-IF, while UniProt lists the early endosome membrane; chromogenic IHC has limited compartment resolution (HPA subcellular ICC-IF; UniProt O15400; standard IHC practice). | Report the IHC observation as granular cytoplasmic staining. Use the separate IF/ICC guide when organelle-level localization is the experimental question (standard IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing STX7 staining
A07855-1 · IHCIHC analysis of Syntaxin 7/STX7 using anti-Syntaxin 7/STX7 antibody (A07855-1). Syntaxin 7/STX7 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section
A07855 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded human placenta using STX7 Rabbit pAb at dilution of 1:100 .Perform microwave antigen retrieval wit
A07855 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded human tonsil using STX7 Rabbit pAb at dilution of 1:100 .Perform microwave antigen retrieval with
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079950-STX7/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_17453991
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079950-STX7/tissue/colon#imid_17453917
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079950-STX7/tissue/liver#imid_17453910
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000079950-STX7/tissue/kidney#imid_17453911
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA001467; green = STX7, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA001467; green = STX7, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for STX7 IHC & IF
🧪Run kidney first: proximal tubule microvilli should stain (HPA: High in kidney proximal tubules, microvilli). Use adipose tissue as the negative tissue, where adipocytes are not detected (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); neighboring cell profiles without specific staining on the kidney slide should show counterstain alone, but no kidney cell type is established as an internal biological negative by the supplied HPA rows.
Positive control tissue: Appendix (Lymphoid tissue, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show STX7 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Lysosomes (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only section and a concentration-matched rabbit IgG isotype control for the rabbit catalog antibody (tissue-IHC caption: rabbit primary and anti-rabbit secondary); use matched STX7-knockout material as a biological negative if available. Block endogenous biotin if using biotin-based detection in kidney, and check for endogenous peroxidase before interpreting DAB staining in renal tubules (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected A07855-1 paraffin-section caption does not state the fixative (tissue-IHC caption: fixative not stated). The demonstrated IHC procedure uses heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, so begin with that condition and verify retrieval on the control tissue (tissue-IHC caption: EDTA retrieval); the supplied evidence does not establish that frozen sections or IF are easier. Renal tubule staining needs careful interpretation because endogenous biotin can produce background with biotin-based detection (standard IHC practice).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for STX7
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appendix | Lymphoid tissue | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Kidney | Proximal tubules (microvilli) | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Lymph node | Germinal center cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Placenta | Hofbauer cells | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Skin | Melanocytes | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Undetected expression · recommended negative controls
| Tissue | Cell type | Level | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adipose tissue | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Cerebellum | Cells in granular layer | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Duodenum | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Fallopian tube | Glandular cells | Not detected | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
Section 3
Advanced STX7 IHC Tips
Troubleshoot STX7 staining in paraffin sections by checking retrieval, cell type, subcellular pattern and controls before interpreting intensity.
What retrieval conditions should I start with for STX7 in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated antigen retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 for paraffin sections (datasheet A07855-1). The selected image used this retrieval before staining a human ovarian cancer section with 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C (datasheet A07855-1). If staining is weak, vary heating time on adjacent sections while holding antibody concentration and detection conditions constant, and inspect tissue morphology after each run (standard IHC practice). Compare granular cytoplasmic signal with a no-primary control; stronger diffuse color alone does not establish improved STX7 detection (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven STX7 staining?
Target-specific sensitivity of STX7 staining to fixative type or fixation duration is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (datasheet A07855-1). Record fixation conditions for each specimen and compare sections processed under matched retrieval and detection conditions before attributing an intensity difference to STX7 abundance (standard IHC practice). Examine morphology and staining at section edges separately, since uneven processing can complicate interpretation of chromogenic sections (standard IHC practice). Use a matched positive-control section and a no-primary control to distinguish a processing problem from widespread background (standard IHC practice).
Where should credible STX7 staining appear in tissue sections?
Look for granular cytoplasmic staining, the pattern reported across several tissues by tissue IHC (HPA tissue IHC). STX7 is annotated at the early endosome membrane, while supported cell-imaging evidence places it at lysosomes (UniProt O15400 subcellular; HPA subcellular). Its cytoplasmic region spans residues 2–238, followed by a transmembrane segment at 239–259; a punctate intracellular pattern is therefore consistent with its membrane-associated trafficking role (UniProt O15400 topology and function). Treat uniform nuclear color or smooth whole-cell DAB staining as a reason to check controls and morphology before assigning it to STX7 (standard IHC practice; UniProt O15400 subcellular).
How can epitope position affect interpretation across STX7 isoforms?
STX7 has 2 annotated isoforms, but the supplied evidence does not map this antibody’s epitope or establish which isoforms it detects (UniProt O15400 isoforms; datasheet A07855-1). The annotated cytoplasmic region is residues 2–238, and the membrane-spanning segment is 239–259, so epitope position would matter when interpreting accessibility (UniProt O15400 topology). STX7 also has annotated phosphorylation sites, including residues 4, 45, 75 and 79; no effect of these modifications on this antibody’s staining is established here (UniProt O15400 modified residues; datasheet A07855-1). Confirm an epitope claim from antibody documentation before using IHC intensity to compare isoforms or modification states (standard IHC practice).
How should I adapt STX7 localisation checks to multiplex IF?
Use IF as a separate assay and verify the antibody’s IF suitability before interpreting multiplex signal; the selected product evidence describes paraffin-section chromogenic IHC (datasheet A07855-1). Pair STX7 with a marker identifying the cell population under study, then assess whether puncta fall within those cells and overlap an appropriate compartment marker (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after checking tissue autofluorescence in unstained and single-label controls, and use separated channels where background is strongest (standard IF practice). If the epitope is cytoplasmic, optimise permeabilisation to expose the cytoplasmic face while retaining intracellular structure; this antibody’s epitope side is unreported (UniProt O15400 topology; datasheet A07855-1; standard IF practice).
What should I check when STX7 DAB staining looks diffuse?
The selected paraffin-section example used 10% goat serum blocking, 2 μg/ml primary antibody overnight at 4°C, and DAB detection (datasheet A07855-1). Check a no-primary section, endogenous peroxidase blocking and DAB development time when diffuse brown color obscures cellular detail (standard IHC practice). Titrate the primary antibody around the documented concentration on matched sections, assessing whether granular cytoplasmic signal remains distinct from background (datasheet A07855-1; HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Inspect tissue folds, section edges and damaged areas separately, and avoid counting their excess color as STX7-positive cells (standard IHC practice).
How should I score heterogeneous STX7 staining across a section? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and anatomical region before scoring, since reported STX7 staining varies by cell type within tissues (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). Record the percentage of cells with granular cytoplasmic staining and, when intensity is reproducible, calculate an H-score using the same thresholds across sections (HPA tissue IHC; standard IHC practice). For spatial comparisons, count positive cells per mm² of evaluable tissue and report the sampled area and number of sections (standard IHC practice). Normalise comparisons to the same cell population and viable tissue area, with matched staining batches and a no-primary control to monitor background (standard IHC practice).
When is apparent STX7 positivity more likely to be artefact?
A plausible positive shows granular cytoplasmic staining in an identifiable cell population, consistent with the tissue-IHC profile and intracellular localisation evidence (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt O15400 subcellular; HPA subcellular). High staining in lymphoid tissue and specified germinal center cells provides useful context, while reported non-detection in adipocytes cautions against treating every brown cell as equivalent (HPA tissue IHC). Flag isolated nuclear color, staining concentrated at edges or necrotic regions, and signal reproduced on a no-primary section for review (standard IHC practice). Check endogenous peroxidase blocking and tissue morphology before interpreting such DAB signal as STX7 expression (standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents
Best STX7 / Syntaxin-7 IHC Antibodies
Two anti-STX7 antibodies have real IHC images from human ovarian cancer, placenta and tonsil, and mouse spleen paraffin sections (catalog IHC captions); A07855-1 also lists IF/ICC (catalog applications).
Real IHC data
Anti-Syntaxin 7/STX7 antibody
Cat # A07855-1
Real IHC data
Anti-Syntaxin-7 STX7 Antibody
Cat # A07855
A07855-1 will render with IHC from a human ovarian cancer paraffin section (A07855-1 IHC caption); it lists IF/ICC, but has no IF image in the payload (catalog applications and image alts). A07855 will render with IHC from human placenta (A07855 card caption); additional captions show human tonsil and mouse spleen paraffin sections (A07855 IHC captions).
Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose A07855 for its 1:50–1:100 range and human and mouse paraffin-section examples (A07855 catalog dilution and IHC captions), or A07855-1 for its 1:50 starting dilution and human ovarian cancer paraffin-section example (A07855-1 catalog dilution and IHC caption). For IF/ICC, choose A07855-1, a rabbit polyclonal antibody with IF and ICC listed at 1:50, without an IF image in the payload (A07855-1 catalog applications, dilution and image alts). Both list human, mouse and rat reactivity, but neither has a rat IHC image in the payload (catalog reactivity and IHC captions); their captions establish paraffin sections, while the fixative is unreported (catalog IHC captions).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry O15400 (STX7_HUMAN, Syntaxin-7).
- Human Protein Atlas. STX7 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Enhanced).
- Human Protein Atlas. STX7 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Localized to the lysosomes..
- Human Protein Atlas. STX7 antibody validation summary (2 antibodies).
- VAMP4 regulates insulin levels by targeting secretory granules to lysosomes. The Journal of cell biology 2022 — PMC9441717.
- Establishing Molecular Subgroups of CD8+ T Cell-Associated Genes in the Ovarian Cancer Tumour Microenvironment and Predicting the Immunotherapy Response. Biomedicines 2023 — PMC10525231.
- PubMed PMID:9358037 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:14574404 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for STX7 (Syntaxin-7). Expected localisation Tissue: granular cytoplasm (HPA tissue IHC); protein: early endosome membrane (UniProt). Antigen retrieval: EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet A07855-1). Validated IHC antibody: A07855-1 at 1:50 recommended; image 2 μg/ml (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Appendix (Lymphoid tissue); negative Adipose tissue. IHC-P workflow on paraffin sections; fixative unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Paraffin-embedded human ovarian cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A07855-1); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A07855-1); 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 A07855-1); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard); 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% goat serum (datasheet A07855-1); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-STX7, 1:50 recommended; image 2 μg/ml (datasheet A07855-1); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (datasheet A07855-1). Watch for: Fixation: Keep fixation consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific); Caveat: In placenta, assess Hofbauer cells specifically (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: 2 isoforms; check epitope against cytoplasmic residues 2–238 (UniProt); Regulation: Expression regulation is unspecified (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt O15400, HPA tissue IHC · Enhanced, HPA ICC-IF · lysosomes., Datasheet A07855-1, PMC10525231. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/STX7/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.