TRIM25 / E3 ubiquitin/ISG15 ligase TRIM25 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for TRIM25

Plan chromogenic TRIM25 IHC around the general cytoplasmic tissue pattern (HPA tissue IHC). Breast glandular cells show high staining (HPA tissue IHC); the IHC-validated antibody M03232 is shown at 1:50 (datasheet M03232).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for TRIM25 (IHC for TRIM25): expected localisation General cytoplasmic staining in tissue (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M03232, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable TRIM25 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation General cytoplasmic staining in tissue (HPA tissue IHC), antibody M03232, controls and protocol steps. Open the full TRIM25 IHC guide →

TRIM25 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 General cytoplasmic staining in tissue (HPA tissue IHC)
Staining pattern General cytoplasmic staining across cell types (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval EDTA pH 8.0 HIER, heat-mediated (datasheet M03232)
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 tissue fixation consistent. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Staining and RNA show medium consistency (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Ubiquitous; expressed in breast tumors (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope No annotated isoforms; one 1–630 chain (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended TRIM25 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody has an IHC-P protocol (datasheet M03232). Published TRIM25 IHC methods provide examples for hepatocellular carcinoma tissue (PMC13079618) and prostate cancer tissue microarrays (PMC9408812).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human breast cancer tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet M03232)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet M03232); 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 M03232); 20 min, 95–100 °C (standard)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% goat serum (datasheet M03232)
Primary antibodyRabbit monoclonal (clone ADFG-20) anti-TRIM25, 1:50 (datasheet M03232)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (datasheet M03232)
DetectionHRP-conjugated secondary, DAB chromogen (datasheet M03232)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultTRIM25-positive staining in hematopoietic cells of bone marrow (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: General cytoplasmic expression. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with heat-mediated EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval for the catalog antibody (datasheet M03232); neither included article specifies a retrieval method (PMC13079618; PMC9408812).
Section 2

What Is the Expected TRIM25 Staining Pattern?

TRIM25 is generally cytoplasmic in tissue IHC (HPA: general cytoplasmic expression), with nuclear localization also reported (UniProt Q14258: nucleus). Expect stronger staining in breast glandular, bronchial respiratory epithelial, and bone marrow hematopoietic cells (HPA: High in each). TRIM25 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q14258: topology). HPA rates its tissue IHC Approved, with medium consistency between staining and RNA expression (HPA: reliability).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Cytoplasmic staining is strong in breast glandular cells or bronchial respiratory epithelial cells, with nearby cells differing in intensity.This fits the reported tissue pattern (HPA: High in those cell types; general cytoplasmic expression). Score the relevant cell population and compartment, rather than treating every cell in a section as equally positive. HPA reports low tissue specificity overall, so staining elsewhere can also be genuine (HPA: RNA specificity).
Staining appears mainly at cell borders, in extracellular material, or as an isolated nuclear signal with no cytoplasmic staining.A border or extracellular pattern conflicts with the expected intracellular distribution and lacks a transmembrane basis (HPA: general cytoplasmic expression; UniProt Q14258: topology). Review it as possible artefact. Judge nuclear staining separately: UniProt lists the nucleus, while HPA ICC-IF calls nucleoplasm uncertain (UniProt Q14258: subcellular location; HPA: nucleoplasm uncertain).
Strong staining predominates in adipocytes, cardiomyocytes, or skeletal myocytes while expected positive cells are weak.This reverses the reported contrast and warrants a specificity check (HPA: Not detected in those cell types; High in breast glandular and bone marrow hematopoietic cells). Cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity is possible, not proven. HPA’s Not detected designation describes its observed staining; it does not establish an absolute biological absence.
Color coats the section diffusely, obscures cell boundaries, or appears across many compartments.The expected pattern is interpretable within cells, chiefly cytoplasmic (HPA: general cytoplasmic expression). Diffuse color alone cannot identify TRIM25; assess background with an appropriate no-primary control and inspect detection and washing steps (general IHC practice). Interpret any faint tissue staining in light of HPA’s medium staining–RNA consistency (HPA: reliability).
No signal appears in breast glandular cells or bone marrow hematopoietic cells.Those cells are reported as High and provide useful comparison tissues (HPA: High in each). Absence there raises a technical or antibody-performance question before a biological conclusion. Check tissue preservation, retrieval and detection with appropriate controls (general IHC practice); the supplied sources do not establish TRIM25-specific fixation sensitivity.
💡Expected TRIM25 appearanceCall a positive IHC result when identifiable cells show predominantly cytoplasmic signal, especially strong in HPA High cell types; isolated surface or extracellular color warrants investigation (HPA: general cytoplasmic expression; High in breast glandular cells and bone marrow hematopoietic cells; UniProt Q14258: topology).
How each factor affects the staining
Which tissue and cell population is scored?HPA reports High staining in bone marrow hematopoietic, breast glandular, bronchial respiratory epithelial, colon endothelial, and duodenal glandular cells, while adipocytes and several muscle cell types are Not detected (HPA: tissue IHC). Identify the cell population before comparing intensities across sections.
How much weight should one IHC pattern carry?The listed rabbit polyclonal antibody is IHC Approved, and HPA describes medium consistency with RNA expression (HPA: HPA005909 validation; reliability). These designations support using the pattern as a reference while leaving discordant staining open to control-based review; an IHC Enhanced designation is not supplied.
Does TRIM25 processing predict surface staining?The record lists one 1–630 chain, no signal peptide or propeptide, and no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q14258: processing and topology). A dominant surface pattern therefore lacks support from this record; these features do not establish how a particular epitope survives tissue preparation.
IF/ICC Q: Where should TRIM25 appear?A: HPA reports supported cytosolic localization, uncertain nucleoplasmic localization, and uncertain additional nuclear-body localization (HPA: ICC-IF subcellular summary). UniProt also lists cytoplasm, stress granules, and nucleus (UniProt Q14258: subcellular location). Use the separate IF/ICC guide for its workflow.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
A known HPA High cell population is blank.The run may have lost detectable signal; the supplied evidence gives no TRIM25-specific fixation or retrieval sensitivity.Confirm tissue identity, then review retrieval, primary-antibody application, detection reagents, and a working positive control (general IHC practice; HPA: High in breast glandular cells).
Every cell has similar diffuse color.Background from detection chemistry or insufficient washing can obscure an intracellular pattern (general IHC practice).Inspect a no-primary control, blocking and wash steps, and detection exposure before assigning cell-specific TRIM25 signal (general IHC practice; HPA: general cytoplasmic expression).
Adipocytes or myocytes stain more strongly than the expected positive population.The result conflicts with HPA’s reported cell-type contrast; cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity are possibilities (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes and myocytes).Compare matched control sections and no-primary staining; reassess the labeled cell types before scoring the unexpected color as TRIM25 (general IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC).
Signal outlines membranes or fills extracellular spaces.That distribution is unsupported by the reported localization and topology (HPA: general cytoplasmic expression; UniProt Q14258: no transmembrane segment).Check control staining and section morphology, then score only signal assignable to intact cells (general IHC practice).
A section shows nuclear staining but little cytoplasmic signal.Nuclear localization is plausible, although HPA’s nucleoplasm assignment is uncertain (UniProt Q14258: nucleus; HPA: nucleoplasm uncertain).Confirm that nuclei and cytoplasm are distinguishable by counterstain and morphology; compare a positive tissue and control section before accepting a nuclear-only pattern (general IHC practice).
Low-level staining varies between tissues.TRIM25 has low tissue specificity, but HPA reports distinct cell-level intensities and only medium staining–RNA consistency (HPA: RNA specificity; tissue IHC; reliability).Compare the same cell type and compartment across sections, record intensity separately from the fraction of stained cells, and avoid calling low signal absent solely because another tissue stains strongly (general IHC scoring practice).

Sample controls for TRIM25 IHC & IF

🧪Run breast first: glandular cells should stain (HPA: High in breast glandular cells). Use adipose tissue as the negative, scoring adipocytes (HPA: Not detected in adipocytes); on the breast slide, cells without glandular staining should show only background signal, but should not be assumed TRIM25-negative without validation.
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 TRIM25 in A-431, U-251MG, U2OS, with annotated localisation: Nucleoplasm (uncertain), Cytosol (supported) (HPA subcellular).
Technical controls: Include no-primary (secondary-only), a rabbit isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s clonality, and a TRIM25-knockout specimen or validated peptide-block control (caption: rabbit anti-TRIM25 antibody). For chromogenic breast IHC, quench endogenous peroxidase and assess any residual signal in blood-rich areas before scoring glandular cells (caption: HRP/DAB detection; standard IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: The breast paraffin-section example uses heat retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0, followed by primary antibody at 1:50 overnight at 4°C (selected-SKU IHC caption). Its fixative is unreported, and the supplied evidence reports no target-specific fixation window or fixation effect (selected-SKU IHC caption). HPA has ICC-IF images from A-431, U-251MG and U2OS, but the supplied evidence does not establish that IF or frozen sections are easier; breast sections also require attention to endogenous peroxidase in blood-rich areas (HPA subcellular; standard IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for TRIM25

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Approved — 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 →
Breast Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bronchus Respiratory epithelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Colon Endothelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Duodenum Glandular cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Heart muscle Cardiomyocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Liver Cholangiocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Skeletal muscle Myocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Smooth muscle Smooth muscle cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced TRIM25 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot TRIM25 chromogenic IHC in paraffin sections using the selected antibody’s tissue result, reported localisation, and appropriate section controls.

Which retrieval conditions should I start with for TRIM25 in paraffin sections?
Start with heat-mediated retrieval in EDTA at pH 8.0 (datasheet M03232). This is the condition used for the selected antibody’s paraffin-section image of human breast cancer, followed by primary antibody at 1:50 overnight at 4°C (datasheet M03232). If staining is weak, vary heating time on adjacent sections while holding antibody concentration and detection constant, and inspect tissue integrity after retrieval (standard IHC practice). Include a no-primary control to distinguish weak specific staining from DAB deposition caused by the detection system (standard IHC practice). The caption does not report a fixative, so retrieval performance cannot establish fixation sensitivity (datasheet M03232).
Could fixation explain weak or patchy TRIM25 staining?
Target-specific TRIM25 sensitivity to fixation is unknown from the supplied evidence; the selected paraffin-section caption does not state its fixative (datasheet M03232). Record the fixative, fixation duration, and processing history for each specimen, then compare similarly processed sections using the same EDTA pH 8.0 retrieval and detection settings (datasheet M03232; standard IHC practice). Check morphology alongside staining: damaged edges, poor preservation, or uneven processing can complicate comparisons within a section (standard IHC practice). Use a concurrently processed positive tissue control to judge whether a weak specimen reflects the run or the specimen (standard IHC practice). Do not infer a TRIM25 fixation effect from its localisation or modifications (UniProt Q14258).
How should I assess cytoplasmic and nuclear TRIM25 staining?
Score cytoplasmic and nuclear staining separately: TRIM25 is reported in cytoplasm, stress granules, and nucleus (UniProt Q14258). HPA describes general cytoplasmic tissue expression, while its cell imaging supports cytosol and marks nucleoplasm and nuclear bodies as uncertain (HPA tissue IHC; HPA subcellular). In DAB sections, compare staining with the counterstain and cell boundaries before calling faint nuclear colour positive (standard IHC practice). Document the fraction and intensity of cells in each compartment under identical imaging conditions, and review the no-primary control for diffuse nuclear haze (standard IHC practice). Treat punctate patterns cautiously because section morphology alone cannot establish stress-granule identity (UniProt Q14258; standard IHC practice).
Can this antibody distinguish a TRIM25 isoform or modified epitope?
The supplied record lists 0 isoforms and a B30.2/SPRY domain at residues 439–630 (UniProt Q14258). It also lists phosphorylation and acetylation sites, including Thr91, Ser100, Lys273, Tyr278, and Lys567 (UniProt Q14258). The selected IHC caption does not identify the antibody’s epitope or establish modification-specific binding (datasheet M03232). Therefore, interpret DAB staining as antibody-detected TRIM25 signal, without assigning it to a particular modification or domain; compare independent antibody evidence if epitope dependence matters (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval and detection constant across specimens because changes in accessibility can alter apparent staining without demonstrating altered TRIM25 abundance (standard IHC practice).
How can IF help resolve which cells and compartments contain TRIM25?
Use IF/ICC as a separate validation experiment and multiplex TRIM25 with a marker for the cell population being assessed; HPA reports high tissue staining in breast glandular cells and bone-marrow hematopoietic cells (HPA tissue IHC). Choose spectrally separated fluorophores and inspect unstained tissue for autofluorescence before assigning a weak TRIM25 channel (standard IF practice). TRIM25 has no transmembrane segment and is reported in cytoplasm and nucleus, so use controlled permeabilisation to expose intracellular epitopes without erasing spatial detail (UniProt Q14258; standard IF practice). Include single-channel and no-primary controls when setting exposure and assessing bleed-through (standard IF practice). HPA cell imaging supports cytosol, while its nuclear assignments are uncertain, so verify any nuclear IF pattern independently (HPA subcellular).
What should I check when TRIM25 DAB staining looks widespread?
First compare the section with a no-primary control and inspect whether colour follows tissue edges, folds, or damaged areas rather than cell outlines (standard IHC practice). The selected caption used 10% goat serum blocking, a peroxidase-conjugated anti-rabbit secondary, and DAB development (datasheet M03232). For a peroxidase-based run, check the general peroxide-blocking step and shorten chromogen development if the control also darkens (standard IHC practice). HPA reports broad cytoplasmic expression and low tissue RNA specificity, so widespread staining alone does not establish background (HPA tissue IHC). Compare expected cell populations and compartments with a positive control before lowering primary concentration or changing retrieval (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q14258; standard IHC practice).
How should I quantify TRIM25 across differently cellular tissue regions? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the tissue compartment and cell population before scoring, and exclude folds, necrosis, and poorly preserved edges consistently (standard IHC practice). For cellular staining, report the percentage of positive cells and an H-score using intensity grades 0–3; record cytoplasmic and nuclear scores separately (standard IHC practice; UniProt Q14258 localisation). Where positive cells are sparse, report their density per mm² of evaluable tissue and identify the denominator (standard IHC practice). Normalise comparisons to the number of eligible cells or evaluable area within the same compartment, using identical acquisition and DAB thresholds (standard IHC practice). HPA reports high staining in several distinct cell populations, so whole-section averages can conceal changes in cellular composition (HPA tissue IHC).
When is a TRIM25-positive DAB signal convincing rather than artefactual?
A convincing result follows identifiable cells and a plausible compartment: TRIM25 is reported in cytoplasm and nucleus, and HPA describes general cytoplasmic tissue staining (UniProt Q14258; HPA tissue IHC). Evaluate the particular cell type because HPA reports high staining in breast glandular cells but no detection in adipocytes, among its surveyed populations (HPA tissue IHC). Distrust colour concentrated at cut edges, folds, or necrotic areas, especially when the no-primary control shows similar deposition (standard IHC practice). Check endogenous peroxidase contribution with the run’s blocking and control sections before attributing DAB to TRIM25 (standard IHC practice). Finally, treat nuclear staining cautiously because HPA’s nucleoplasmic assignment is uncertain (HPA subcellular).
Boster reagents

Best TRIM25 / E3 ubiquitin/ISG15 ligase TRIM25 IHC Antibodies

Anti-TRIM25 antibodies have IHC images from human breast and mammary cancer, human pancreatic cancer, and mouse stomach paraffin sections (catalog IHC captions); IF/ICC images show human cells (catalog IF/ICC captions).

Real IHC data IHC analysis of TRIM25 using anti-TRIM25 antibody (M03232). TRIM25 was detected in a paraffin-embedded section of human breast cancer 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-TRIM25 Antibody (M03232) 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-TRIM25 Monoclonal Antibody
Cat # M03232
Real IHC data IHC analysis of TRIM25 using anti-TRIM25 antibody (A03232-1). TRIM25 was detected in paraffin-embedded section of human mammary cancer 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-TRIM25 Antibody (A03232-1) 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-TRIM25/EFP Antibody ®
Cat # A03232-1
Real IF data Immunocytochemistry of TRIM25 in HeLa cells with TRIM25 antibody at 20 μg/mL.
Anti-TRIM25 Antibody
Cat # A03232-2

M03232 has IHC images from human breast cancer and mouse stomach paraffin sections (M03232 IHC captions); A03232-1 has IHC images from human mammary and pancreatic cancer paraffin sections (A03232-1 IHC captions). A03232-2 has IF/ICC images from HeLa cells and lists human and mouse reactivity, with no IHC application listed (A03232-2 image captions and catalog applications/reactivity).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose M03232 for human breast cancer or mouse stomach paraffin sections at 1:50, or A03232-1 for human mammary or pancreatic cancer paraffin sections at 1 μg/mL (respective IHC captions). For IF/ICC, A03232-2 has HeLa cell images at 20 μg/mL (A03232-2 IF/ICC captions). For cross-species tissue IHC, M03232 is monoclonal and lists human, mouse, and rat reactivity, with IHC images for human and mouse only (M03232 catalog and IHC captions); the IHC captions do not report the fixative (M03232 and A03232-1 IHC captions).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q14258 (TRI25_HUMAN, E3 ubiquitin/ISG15 ligase TRIM25).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. TRIM25 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Approved).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. TRIM25 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Mainly localized to the nucleoplasm and cytosol. In addition localized to the nuclear bodies..
  4. Human Protein Atlas. TRIM25 antibody validation summary (1 antibodies).
  5. TRIM25-mediated ferroptosis resistance is closely associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Frontiers in immunology 2026 — PMC13079618.
  6. TRIM25-Mediated Ubiquitination and Degradation of SOX8 Promotes Ligament Fibroblast Osteogenic Differentiation and Regulates OPLL Progression by Inhibiting OSR2 Transcription. JOR spine 2025 — PMC12412890.
  7. Identification and Validation of TRIM25 as a Glucose Metabolism Regulator in Prostate Cancer. International journal of molecular sciences 2022 — PMC9408812.
  8. The ubiquitin ligase TRIM25 targets ERG for degradation in prostate cancer. Oncotarget 2016 — PMC5323126.
  9. PubMed PMID:8248217 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:16625196 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:15489334 — UniProt-cited evidence.