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SUZ12 / Polycomb protein SUZ12 · IHC design guide
Design Immunohistochemistry for SUZ12
Plan SUZ12 IHC-P around its nuclear, chromatin-associated location (UniProt) and the low nuclear staining reported in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC). Use tissue controls and interpret staining intensity cautiously because antibody staining and RNA expression show low consistency (HPA tissue IHC).
Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
SUZ12 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 | Nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Staining pattern | Low nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Antigen retrieval | Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen) | |
| Positive control | Fallopian tube+4 more · see all | |
| 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 M00583-3) | |
| Caveat | Tissue staining has low consistency with RNA levels (HPA tissue IHC) | |
| Regulation | Overexpressed in breast and colon cancer (UniProt) | |
| Isoform / epitope | No isoforms annotated; one 1–739 chain (UniProt) |
Section 1
Recommended SUZ12 IHC & IF Protocols
The catalog antibody’s IHC-P protocol is accompanied by three published SUZ12 IHC protocols (PMC5307854; PMC6010759; PMC4383254).
| Sample | Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow) |
| Fixation | Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M00583-3); verify before use. |
| Sectioning | 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard) |
| Deparaffinisation | Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard) |
| Antigen retrieval | Heat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: nuclear antigen) |
| Peroxidase block | 3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Blocking | 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard) |
| Primary antibody | Rabbit anti-SUZ12, 1:200-1:1000 (datasheet M00583-3) |
| Primary incubation | Overnight at 4 °C (standard) |
| Detection | HRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard) |
| Counterstain | Hematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard) |
| Expected result | SUZ12-positive staining in ciliated cells (tip of cilia) of fallopian tube (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Low nuclear expression in several tissues. No signal in the no-primary control. |
💡Decision noteStart with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval rule); compare citrate pH 6.0 for 15 min if needed (PMC5307854; PMC6010759).
Section 2
What Is the Expected SUZ12 Staining Pattern?
SUZ12 is a nuclear, chromatin-associated PRC2 protein with no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q15022). In paraffin-section IHC, expect mainly nuclear staining in selected cells, including tonsil germinal center cells, bone marrow hematopoietic cells, and kidney tubular cells (HPA tissue IHC: Medium). HPA describes low nuclear expression across several tissues, but rates its IHC evidence Approved with low consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA tissue IHC).
| Nuclear staining appears in tonsil germinal center cells, bone marrow hematopoietic cells, or kidney tubular cells (HPA tissue IHC: Medium). | This fits the expected compartment and reported cell distribution (UniProt Q15022; HPA tissue IHC). Compare staining with nearby morphology and the chosen control section; HPA's Approved rating carries a low staining–RNA consistency caveat (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Signal is predominantly cytoplasmic, membranous, or extracellular, with little nuclear staining. | That distribution conflicts with chromatin-associated nuclear SUZ12 (UniProt Q15022). Treat it as suspect and review morphology, background, and antibody-specific controls before scoring it as target signal (general IHC practice). |
| Strong staining appears in adipocytes or other cells listed as not detected by HPA. | HPA reports adipocytes as not detected in adipose tissue and breast (HPA tissue IHC). Unexpected staining can reflect cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity; check a no-primary control and do not treat one discordant field as proof of expression (general IHC practice). |
| Color spreads uniformly across nuclei, cytoplasm, and empty spaces. | A diffuse deposit lacks the expected nuclear restriction (UniProt Q15022). Consider nonspecific background or detection-system activity; inspect a no-primary control, reagent blanks, and tissue edges before interpreting weak nuclear color (general IHC practice). |
| No convincing nuclear signal appears in a section selected from an HPA Medium-staining cell population. | A negative result there warrants checking control performance, tissue preservation, and the detection workflow (general IHC practice). HPA reports Medium staining, not guaranteed positivity in every specimen, and notes low staining–RNA consistency (HPA tissue IHC). |
💡Expected SUZ12 appearanceCall a result consistent with SUZ12 when selected cells show mainly nuclear chromogenic staining, plausibly around HPA's Medium level in tonsil germinal centers, marrow hematopoietic cells, or kidney tubules; dominant membrane, cytoplasmic, or diffuse staining is suspect (UniProt Q15022; HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice).
| Nuclear location and chromatin association (UniProt Q15022) | Evaluate stain within morphologically identifiable nuclei. SUZ12 is a PRC2 component localized to chromatin, so a cytoplasmic or surface-dominant pattern does not match its annotated location (UniProt Q15022). |
| Cell distribution and evidence strength (HPA tissue IHC) | HPA reports Medium staining in several cell populations, low nuclear expression across several tissues, and low staining–RNA consistency despite an Approved IHC rating. Use those observations as comparison points, not absolute specimen-level pass criteria (HPA tissue IHC). |
| Fallopian-tube ciliary-tip report (HPA tissue IHC) | HPA lists High staining at ciliated-cell ciliary tips, a site that conflicts with UniProt's nuclear chromatin localization (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q15022). Record that observation separately; it does not establish ciliary SUZ12 or replace nuclear staining as the expected pattern. |
| IF/ICC: where should SUZ12 appear? (HPA subcellular ICC-IF) | HPA supports nucleoplasm, nucleoli, and nuclear bodies, with additional nucleolar-rim localization (HPA subcellular ICC-IF). This answers the IF/ICC localization question; the IF/ICC workflow belongs in its own guide (HPA subcellular ICC-IF). |
| Situation | Likely cause | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| The intended positive section is blank. | The assay may have failed, or the sampled cells may differ from HPA's reported Medium-staining populations (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Confirm the relevant cells are present, inspect counterstain and detection controls, then review the antibody datasheet's IHC-P conditions and the run record (general IHC practice). Do not infer a SUZ12-specific fixation effect from these data. |
| Nuclei are faint but the whole section is pale. | Weak overall detection can obscure HPA's low nuclear expression pattern (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Compare a known reactive section processed in the same run; check reagent performance and antibody dilution against its documented IHC-P instructions (general IHC practice). No target-specific dilution is supplied here. |
| Cytoplasm or membranes stain more strongly than nuclei. | The dominant compartment disagrees with nuclear, chromatin-associated SUZ12 (UniProt Q15022). Nonspecific binding or detection background is possible (general IHC practice). | Review a no-primary control and tissue morphology, then optimize blocking or detection conditions as needed (general IHC practice). Score nuclear signal separately from the discordant deposit. |
| Adipocytes or another HPA not-detected population stain strongly. | This conflicts with the cited HPA cell-level observation; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity may contribute (HPA tissue IHC; general IHC practice). | Verify cell identity, check a no-primary control, and assess endogenous activity appropriate to the chromogenic detection system (general IHC practice). Report the discrepancy rather than reclassifying that cell type as an established positive. |
| Background is diffuse or collects at section edges. | A broad deposit is difficult to reconcile with nuclear SUZ12 and may arise from nonspecific staining or uneven reagent coverage (UniProt Q15022; general IHC practice). | Inspect the no-primary control; review washing, blocking, reagent coverage, and detection development for the affected run (general IHC practice). Interpret nuclei only where tissue detail remains clear. |
| Prominent ciliary-tip staining appears in fallopian tube. | HPA reports High ciliary-tip staining, while UniProt places SUZ12 in the nucleus on chromatin; HPA also reports low staining–RNA consistency (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q15022). | Document ciliary and nuclear staining separately, inspect controls, and avoid calling ciliary signal confirmed SUZ12 localization on this evidence alone (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q15022; general IHC practice). |
Experiment evidence
IHC & IF images showing SUZ12 staining
M00583-3 · IHCHuman kidney was stained with Anti-Polycomb Protein SUZ12 rabbit antibody
M00583-3 · IHCMouse kidney was stained with Anti-Polycomb Protein SUZ12 rabbit antibody
A00583 · IHCImmunohistochemistry of SUZ12 in human lung tissue with SUZ12 antibody at 5 μg/mL.
A00583 · IFImmunofluorescence of SUZ12 in human lung tissue with SUZ12 antibody at 20 μg/mL.
HPA · Cerebral cortexHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Cerebral cortex. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000178691-SUZ12/tissue/cerebral+cortex#imid_16310307
HPA · ColonHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Colon. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000178691-SUZ12/tissue/colon#imid_16310233
HPA · LiverHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Liver. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000178691-SUZ12/tissue/liver#imid_16310242
HPA · KidneyHuman Protein Atlas IHC, Kidney. Source: https://www.proteinatlas.org/ENSG00000178691-SUZ12/tissue/kidney#imid_16310235
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA057436; green = SUZ12, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
HPA · ICC-IF A-431Human Protein Atlas immunofluorescence, A-431, antibody HPA057436; green = SUZ12, blue = nucleus, red = microtubules.
← swipe / scroll for more images →
Real IHC / IF data behind the staining-pattern expectations in this section.
Sample controls for SUZ12 IHC & IF
🧪Run kidney first: its tubule cells should stain at a Medium level (HPA: kidney, cells in tubules), and the selected antibody has a human kidney IHC image (catalog caption: M00583-3). Use adipose tissue adipocytes as the negative tissue (HPA: adipocytes not detected); on the kidney slide, score neighboring cells without signal as internal negatives only where they are observed.
Positive control tissue: Fallopian tube (Ciliated cells (tip of cilia), HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA ICC-IF images show SUZ12 in A-431, HEK293, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (supported), Nucleoli (supported), Nuclear bodies (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only) and rabbit IgG isotype controls matched to the primary antibody’s clonality and concentration (catalog caption: rabbit antibody; standard IHC practice). Use SUZ12-knockout material as a biological negative if available, and block endogenous peroxidase in kidney sections for chromogenic detection (standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected kidney caption does not state a fixative (catalog caption: M00583-3); optimize antigen retrieval empirically for paraffin sections (standard IHC practice). The supplied evidence does not establish whether frozen sections or IF are easier, although HPA ICC-IF images support predominantly nuclear localization (HPA: subcellular). Interpret the High staining at fallopian tube cilia tips cautiously because it differs from SUZ12’s expected chromatin-associated nuclear localization (HPA: fallopian tube, ciliated cells; UniProt Q15022: nucleus, chromatin).
HPA tissue IHC evidence for SUZ12
Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — Low 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fallopian tube | Ciliated cells (tip of cilia) | High | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Appendix | Lymphoid tissue | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Bone marrow | Hematopoietic cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Gallbladder | Glandular cells | Medium | Protein (IHC) | HPA → |
| Kidney | Cells in tubules | Medium | 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 → |
| Breast | Adipocytes | 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 SUZ12 IHC Tips
SUZ12 is a chromatin-associated nuclear PRC2 component (UniProt Q15022). Use compartment-aware controls when troubleshooting chromogenic staining in paraffin sections.
How should I adjust retrieval when SUZ12 nuclear staining is weak?
Use Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting: nuclear antigen). Keep section thickness, cooling and detection conditions matched while comparing retrieval runs, so a change in nuclear signal can be attributed to heating (standard IHC practice). Assess nuclei in kidney tubule cells alongside a no-primary control, because medium staining is reported in those cells (HPA: kidney cells in tubules, medium). If staining remains weak, test a shorter or longer heating interval on adjacent sections and inspect tissue integrity before changing buffer or pH (standard IHC practice).
Could fixation explain inconsistent SUZ12 staining between paraffin blocks?
Target-specific fixation sensitivity is unknown from the supplied evidence; the catalog antibody’s human kidney IHC caption does not state a fixative (selected SKU M00583-3 caption). Compare blocks with documented fixation histories using the same Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting: nuclear antigen; standard IHC practice). Check whether weak signal affects nuclei throughout a section or follows folds, edges or poorly preserved areas before changing conditions (standard IHC practice). Record fixation duration and processing details when available, and avoid assigning a SUZ12-specific cause without a controlled comparison (standard IHC practice).
Where should convincing SUZ12 staining appear in tissue sections?
Prioritise nuclear staining because SUZ12 localizes to chromatin within PRC2 (UniProt Q15022: subcellular location and subunit). Nucleoplasmic, nucleolar and nuclear-body signals are also supported in cultured-cell imaging, although those fine compartments may be difficult to resolve by chromogenic tissue IHC (HPA: subcellular localization; standard IHC practice). Score kidney tubule nuclei separately from surrounding structures; kidney tubule cells have medium tissue staining in the reference profile (HPA: kidney cells in tubules, medium). Predominantly diffuse cytoplasmic or extracellular color warrants a no-primary and detection-control review before it is assigned to SUZ12 (UniProt Q15022: nuclear location; standard IHC practice).
Could epitope placement or modification account for uneven nuclear signal?
The supplied record annotates a 739-residue SUZ12 chain and 0 isoforms, but does not identify this antibody’s epitope (UniProt Q15022: processing and isoforms; selected SKU M00583-3 caption). It lists phosphorylation at residues 20, 541, 546, 583 and 726, without establishing an effect on tissue staining (UniProt Q15022: modified residues). Check the catalog antibody’s documented immunogen before attributing regional staining differences to epitope masking, and compare adjacent sections under matched retrieval conditions (standard IHC practice). Because SUZ12 associates with chromatin in PRC2, evaluate nuclear morphology and retrieval consistency when interpreting patchy signal (UniProt Q15022: subcellular location; standard IHC practice).
How can I examine SUZ12 by IF while interpreting this IHC result?
Treat IF/ICC as a separate workflow and compare its compartment pattern with nuclear chromogenic IHC, rather than carrying an IHC processing claim into IF (UniProt Q15022: nuclear location; standard IF practice). Multiplex SUZ12 with a marker for the expected cell type, such as an appropriately validated kidney tubule marker when examining kidney, and include single-stain controls (HPA: kidney cells in tubules, medium; standard IF practice). Select fluorophores after checking tissue autofluorescence in each detection channel and reserve a distinguishable channel for the nuclear signal (standard IF practice). Use permeabilisation sufficient to access the nuclear, chromatin-associated target, then verify nuclear morphology with a counterstain (UniProt Q15022: subcellular location; standard IF practice).
How do I distinguish background from low-level SUZ12 staining?
Examine a no-primary section and review peroxidase blocking before judging faint chromogenic signal, since endogenous enzyme activity can produce color independent of the primary antibody (standard IHC practice). Compare nuclear color with diffuse cytoplasmic deposits, precipitate and staining at tissue edges, keeping detection and development conditions matched across sections (UniProt Q15022: nuclear location; standard IHC practice). Kidney tubule cells provide a tissue context with reported medium staining, whereas adipocytes in adipose tissue are reported as not detected (HPA: kidney cells in tubules, medium; HPA: adipose tissue adipocytes, not detected). Interpret either comparator cautiously because the tissue IHC profile has low consistency with RNA expression (HPA: reliability description).
What should I score when comparing SUZ12 across paraffin sections? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the eligible cell population and score nuclear staining, consistent with SUZ12’s chromatin-associated location (UniProt Q15022: subcellular location). Report the percentage of positive nuclei and intensity separately, or calculate an H-score from intensity categories 0–3 for a possible range of 0–300 (standard IHC practice). Normalise each result to the number of evaluable nuclei in the same cell population, and record excluded necrotic or damaged areas (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, chromogen development, image acquisition and positivity thresholds consistent, then compare equivalent tissue compartments rather than whole-section averages (standard IHC practice).
When is an apparent SUZ12-positive area likely to be artefactual?
A convincing result follows intact nuclei in a defined cell population, consistent with SUZ12’s chromatin-associated nuclear location (UniProt Q15022: subcellular location). Treat cytoplasmic deposits, accentuated cut edges and color confined to necrotic areas as suspect until adjacent sections and controls reproduce the pattern (standard IHC practice). Review the no-primary control and peroxidase block when color appears in an unexpected compartment or cell population (standard IHC practice). Interpret kidney tubule staining in light of the reported medium signal, but avoid treating that profile as definitive because antibody staining and RNA expression have low consistency (HPA: kidney cells in tubules, medium; HPA: reliability description).
Boster reagents
Best SUZ12 / Polycomb protein SUZ12 IHC Antibodies
Anti-SUZ12 antibodies have IHC images from human lung and human, mouse, and rat kidney, plus IF images from human lung and U2OS cells (catalog image captions).
Real IHC data
Anti-Polycomb Protein SUZ12 Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M00583-3
Real IHC data
Anti-Polycomb protein SUZ12 SUZ12 Antibody
Cat # A00583
M00583-3 lists IHC and IF applications and has IHC images from human, mouse, and rat kidney (catalog applications and IHC image captions). A00583 lists IHC-P and IF applications, with images from human lung at 5 μg/mL for IHC and 20 μg/mL for IF (catalog applications and image captions).
Which to pick: For paraffin-section tissue IHC, choose A00583: it lists IHC-P and shows staining in human lung at 5 μg/mL; the image caption does not report a fixative (catalog applications and IHC image caption). For human-cell IF/ICC, consider A00583-1, which lists IF and ICC and has an IF image from U2OS cells (catalog applications and IF image caption). For IHC across human, mouse, and rat samples, choose rabbit monoclonal M00583-3, which lists all three species and has a kidney IHC image for each (catalog description, reactivity, and IHC image captions).
Each figure is that product's own IHC / IF validation image from its datasheet.
References
- UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q15022 (SUZ12_HUMAN, Polycomb protein SUZ12).
- Human Protein Atlas. SUZ12 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
- Human Protein Atlas. SUZ12 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm, nucleoli and nuclear bodies. In addition localized to the nucleoli rim..
- Human Protein Atlas. SUZ12 antibody validation summary (1 antibodies).
- Overexpression of suppressor of zest 12 is associated with cervical node metastasis and unfavorable prognosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer cell international 2017 — PMC5307854.
- SUZ12 is a novel putative oncogene promoting tumorigenesis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 2018 — PMC6010759.
- Somatic mutations of SUZ12 in malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Nature genetics 2014 — PMC4383254.
- Association of the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 with the polycomb repressive complex pathway in T and NK cell lymphoma. Oncotarget 2017 — PMC5458209.
- PubMed PMID:8590280 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.
- PubMed PMID:11371647 — UniProt-cited evidence.
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for SUZ12 (Polycomb protein SUZ12). Expected localisation Nuclear staining in several tissues (HPA tissue IHC). Antigen retrieval: Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen). Validated IHC antibody: M00583-3 at 1:200-1:1000 (the product's own IHC validation image is shown). Controls (HPA): positive Fallopian tube (Ciliated cells (tip of cilia)); negative Adipose tissue. IHC workflow; specimen preparation unspecified. Protocol steps: 1. Sample: Tissue sections; selected-image fixative not specified (standard IHC workflow); 2. Fixation: Image fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M00583-3); verify before use.; 3. Sectioning: 4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard); 4. Deparaffinisation: Xylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard); 5. Antigen retrieval: Heat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0 , 20 min at 95–98 °C…; 6. Peroxidase block: 3% H2O2, 10 min , room temperature (standard); 7. Blocking: 10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min , room temperature (standard); 8. Primary antibody: Rabbit anti-SUZ12, 1:200-1:1000 (datasheet M00583-3); 9. Primary incubation: Overnight at 4 °C (standard). Watch for: Fixation: Matched tissue-IHC evidence does not establish the fixation claim. Validate the specimen-specific method before use. (selected-SKU IHC image M00583-3); Caveat: Tissue staining has low consistency with RNA levels (HPA tissue IHC); Isoform / epitope: No isoforms annotated; one 1–739 chain (UniProt); Regulation: Overexpressed in breast and colon cancer (UniProt). Evidence: UniProt Q15022, HPA tissue IHC · Approved, HPA ICC-IF · Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm, nucleoli and nuclear bodies. In…, Datasheet M00583-3, PMC5307854, PMC6010759. QR code links to https://www.bosterbio.com/bosterbio-gene-info-cards/SUZ12/immunohistochemistry-ihc-guide.