ZFP36L1 / mRNA decay activator protein ZFP36L1 · IHC design guide

Design Immunohistochemistry for ZFP36L1

Plan chromogenic ZFP36L1 IHC on paraffin sections using an IHC-validated antibody at 1:100–1:300 (A05651 datasheet). Urothelial cells show high staining, but HPA rates the tissue IHC evidence uncertain (HPA tissue IHC).

Evidence assembled Oct 2026 · For research use; verify linked source records and product datasheet before use
Immunohistochemistry protocol sheet for ZFP36L1 (IHC for ZFP36L1): expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear localisation is possible (UniProt), antibody A05651, validated IHC image, and IHC protocol steps
Printable ZFP36L1 IHC protocol sheet — expected localisation Cytoplasmic tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear localisation is possible (UniProt), antibody A05651, controls and protocol steps. Open the full ZFP36L1 IHC guide →

ZFP36L1 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 tissue staining (HPA tissue IHC); nuclear localisation is possible (UniProt)
Staining pattern Cytoplasmic across tissues; high in urothelial cells (HPA tissue IHC)
Antigen retrieval Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 HIER, 95–98 °C, 20 min (rule: nuclear antigen)
Positive control ⓘ Urinary bladder+4 more · see all
Negative control ⓘ Adipose tissue+4 more · see all
Important caveats
Reasons your staining may differ from the expected pattern.
Fixation Keep fixation consistent across paraffin sections. (standard IHC practice; not target-specific)
Caveat Antibody staining has low concordance with RNA data (HPA tissue IHC)
Regulation Basal epidermis exceeds suprabasal layers (UniProt)
Isoform / epitope 0 annotated isoforms; one 1–338 chain (UniProt)
Section 1

Recommended ZFP36L1 IHC & IF Protocols

The catalog antibody protocol is accompanied by three published ZFP36L1 IHC protocols covering lung sections, SCLC tumors, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma samples (PMC4192124; PMC9411550; PMC8406720).

Recommended immunohistochemistry (IHC-P) protocol parameters
SampleParaffin-embedded human brain tissue; fixative not specified (datasheet A05651)
FixationImage fixative and duration unreported (datasheet A05651); verify before use.
Sectioning4–5 µm sections on charged slides (standard)
DeparaffinisationXylene, graded ethanol series to water (standard)
Antigen retrievalHeat-induced epitope retrieval in Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 9.0, 20 min at 95–98 °C (standard rule: nuclear antigen)
Peroxidase block3% H2O2, 10 min, room temperature (standard)
Blocking10% normal serum of the secondary host, 30 min, room temperature (standard)
Primary antibodyRabbit anti-ZFP36L1, 1:100-1:300 (datasheet A05651)
Primary incubationOvernight at 4 °C (standard)
DetectionHRP-polymer secondary, DAB chromogen 5–10 min (standard)
CounterstainHematoxylin, blue, dehydrate and mount (standard)
Expected resultZFP36L1-positive staining in urothelial cells of urinary bladder (HPA tissue IHC: High). HPA tissue profile: Cytoplasmic expression in several different tissue types. No signal in the no-primary control.
💡Decision noteStart with the page’s Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min; citrate pH 6.0 is a published alternative for SCLC tissue (PMC9411550).
Section 2

What Is the Expected ZFP36L1 Staining Pattern?

ZFP36L1 is a soluble protein that localizes to the cytoplasm, nucleus and cytoplasmic granules (UniProt Q07352: localization and topology). In paraffin section IHC, expect predominantly cytoplasmic staining in selected epithelial and glandular cells, including strongly stained urothelial cells (HPA: tissue IHC). Treat this pattern as provisional: the HPA tissue profile and its listed antibody, HPA001301, are both rated Uncertain (HPA: reliability; HPA: antibody validation).

What am I looking at on my slide?
Clear cytoplasmic staining in urothelial cells, with weaker staining in some glandular cells (HPA: High in urothelial cells; Medium in listed glandular cells).This matches the reported tissue pattern. Compare cell types within each section rather than treating every unstained cell as a failed assay: HPA reports low RNA tissue specificity but variable protein staining (HPA: tissue IHC).
Predominantly cell-surface or extracellular staining, without a convincing intracellular pattern (UniProt Q07352: localization and topology).That distribution is inconsistent with the reported nucleus and cytoplasm localization and absence of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q07352). Consider nonspecific staining or chromogen deposit; inspect morphology and a no-primary control (standard IHC practice).
Strong staining in adipocytes while nearby expected-positive cells are weak or negative (HPA: adipocytes Not detected; urothelial cells High).Question antibody specificity or endogenous detection activity, especially if a no-primary control also stains (standard IHC practice). The adipocyte comparison is a warning, not definitive proof: HPA rates its tissue IHC evidence Uncertain (HPA: reliability).
Uniform brown haze across cells and stroma, or deposit outside recognizable cells (standard IHC practice).This obscures the cell-specific cytoplasmic pattern reported by HPA (HPA: tissue IHC). Review blocking, washes, detection reagent and no-primary control before assigning biological intensity scores (standard IHC practice).
No staining in a section containing well-preserved urothelial cells (HPA: urothelial cells High).Check a concurrently processed positive-control section, antibody application and detection performance (standard IHC practice). A negative result alone cannot distinguish technical failure from sample variation, especially with HPA's Uncertain reliability rating (HPA: tissue IHC).
💡Expected ZFP36L1 appearanceA convincing positive is cell-associated, predominantly cytoplasmic staining in urothelial cells, potentially High by HPA's reported level; isolated surface staining or widespread cell-free brown deposit is suspect (HPA: urothelial cells High; UniProt Q07352: localization and topology; standard IHC practice).
How each factor affects the staining
Reference tissue and cell type (HPA: tissue IHC)Urothelial cells provide the strongest listed IHC reference (High); breast, epididymis, fallopian tube and gallbladder glandular cells are listed as Medium (HPA: tissue IHC). Score the named cells, not the entire tissue uniformly.
Evidence strength (HPA: reliability; HPA: antibody validation)The tissue profile and HPA001301 IHC assessment are Uncertain, with low consistency between antibody staining and RNA data (HPA: tissue IHC; HPA: HPA001301). Use the pattern as a comparison point, not a validated diagnostic threshold.
Intracellular distribution (UniProt Q07352: localization)ZFP36L1 can shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm and occur in stress granules and P-bodies (UniProt Q07352). Some nuclear or punctate signal can be plausible; compartment alone cannot establish specificity without suitable controls (standard IHC practice).
Epidermal comparison (UniProt Q07352: tissue specificity)UniProt reports expression mainly in the basal epidermal layer and weakly in suprabasal layers, including protein-level evidence in keratinocytes (UniProt Q07352). This is a distinct reference from HPA's listed tissue IHC levels.
Topology and processing (UniProt Q07352: topology and processing)No transmembrane segment, signal peptide or propeptide is reported; the annotated chain spans residues 1–338 (UniProt Q07352). These facts support an intracellular expectation but do not identify the antibody epitope or establish retrieval behavior.
IF/ICC cross-check? (HPA: subcellular; UniProt Q07352: localization)HPA supplies no main ICC-IF location or cell-line images here, so it provides no image-based IF pattern to compare with this IHC result (HPA: subcellular). Use UniProt localization as context; consult the separate IF/ICC guide for assay design.
Why is my staining missing, weak or wrong?
SituationLikely causeNext action
Urothelial cells show no signal (HPA: urothelial cells High).The assay may have failed, or this specimen may differ from HPA's reported pattern; HPA rates its IHC evidence Uncertain (HPA: reliability).Review section preservation, antibody and detection steps, and a concurrently processed positive control; adjust antigen retrieval only as a general IHC optimization, without assuming a ZFP36L1-specific fixation effect (standard IHC practice).
Only nuclei stain intensely while the cytoplasm is blank (UniProt Q07352: localization; HPA: cytoplasmic tissue profile).Nuclear localization is possible, but a nucleus-only pattern departs from HPA's reported predominantly cytoplasmic IHC profile (UniProt Q07352; HPA: tissue IHC).Recheck cellular boundaries and compare positive and no-primary controls; record nuclear and cytoplasmic scores separately before interpreting the shift (standard IHC practice).
Membranes or luminal material dominate the stain (UniProt Q07352: topology and localization).The distribution conflicts with the reported intracellular localization and lack of a transmembrane segment (UniProt Q07352); nonspecific deposit is a possibility (standard IHC practice).Inspect the deposit at higher magnification and compare a no-primary control and adjacent tissue morphology (standard IHC practice). Do not score extracellular deposit as ZFP36L1-positive cells.
Adipocytes stain strongly (HPA: adipocytes Not detected).This differs from HPA's listed adipocyte observation, though that reference has Uncertain reliability (HPA: tissue IHC). Antibody cross-reactivity or endogenous detection activity are possible (standard IHC practice).Compare no-primary and reagent controls, then review staining in a listed positive cell type on the same run (standard IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC).
Brown haze prevents cell-by-cell scoring (standard IHC practice).Background from the detection workflow can mask the cytoplasmic, cell-associated pattern reported by HPA (standard IHC practice; HPA: tissue IHC).Inspect no-primary staining; review blocking, reagent concentration, incubation and wash steps according to the assay controls (standard IHC practice). Score only after cell boundaries are readable.
Small cytoplasmic dots are interpreted as a definitive positive (UniProt Q07352: cytoplasmic granules).P-body or stress-granule localization is biologically plausible, but dot morphology alone does not identify either structure or prove antibody specificity (UniProt Q07352: localization; standard IHC practice).Document the dots alongside diffuse cytoplasmic staining and controls; reserve granule identity for a separately validated colocalization assessment (standard IHC practice).

Sample controls for ZFP36L1 IHC & IF

🧪Run urinary bladder first and require staining in urothelial cells (HPA: urinary bladder urothelial cells High); use adipose tissue adipocytes as the biological low-expression comparison (HPA: adipocytes Not detected). No internal negative cell population is established for the bladder slide, so cells without specific staining may be assessed as internal comparators but should not be assumed ZFP36L1-negative (HPA: bladder row identifies urothelial cells only).
Positive control tissue: Urinary bladder (Urothelial cells, HPA High)
Negative control tissue: Adipose tissue (HPA Not detected)
ICC-IF cell lines (HPA subcellular resource): HPA carries no ICC-IF cell line for ZFP36L1; derive a cell-line control from the positive tissue's cell type (Urothelial cells) and confirm it by RNA or western blot first.
Technical controls: Include a no-primary, secondary-only control and an isotype control matched to the primary antibody’s host and immunoglobulin class; use knockout tissue if available or the peptide block shown for the catalog antibody as a target-specific check (catalog caption: peptide-blocked image). Quench endogenous peroxidase and check for blood-associated signal on the bladder section (standard chromogenic IHC practice).
⚠️Feasibility: A target-specific fixation window or fixation effect is unreported, and the selected A05651 paraffin-section caption does not state a fixative (catalog caption: fixative not stated). Retrieval dependency and whether frozen sections or IF/ICC are easier are unreported; assess nuclear and cytoplasmic staining when optimizing retrieval for IHC (UniProt Q07352 subcellular). In bladder, distinguish urothelial staining from luminal precipitate and blood-associated peroxidase signal (HPA: urinary bladder urothelial cells High; standard chromogenic IHC practice).

HPA tissue IHC evidence for ZFP36L1

Comprehensive Human Protein Atlas IHC scoring per tissue (reliability: Uncertain — Low consistency between antibody staining and RNA expression data. Pending external verification.). 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
Urinary bladder Urothelial cells High Protein (IHC) HPA →
Breast Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Epididymis Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Fallopian tube Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →
Gallbladder Glandular cells Medium Protein (IHC) HPA →

Undetected expression · recommended negative controls

TissueCell typeLevelEvidenceSource
Adipose tissue Adipocytes Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Bone marrow Hematopoietic cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Caudate Glial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebellum Cells in granular layer Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Cerebral cortex Endothelial cells Not detected Protein (IHC) HPA →
Section 3

Advanced ZFP36L1 IHC Tips

Troubleshoot ZFP36L1 staining in paraffin section IHC by checking retrieval, compartment, controls and cell resolved scoring before interpreting chromogenic signal.

How should I adjust retrieval when ZFP36L1 staining is weak?
Start with Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 heat retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting). If staining is weak, compare a longer retrieval time on adjacent sections while keeping antibody dilution, detection and imaging conditions constant (standard IHC practice). Include a known positive section in each run, and inspect tissue morphology because excessive heating can damage sections or increase diffuse background (standard IHC practice). Score cytoplasmic and nuclear staining separately: ZFP36L1 occurs in both compartments and can shuttle between them (UniProt Q07352 localisation). The selected A05651 image shows paraffin embedded human brain tissue but does not report its retrieval method or fixative (A05651 caption).
Could fixation explain weak or uneven ZFP36L1 staining?
Target specific fixation sensitivity is unknown: the selected A05651 tissue image identifies paraffin embedded human brain tissue but gives no fixative (A05651 caption). Record each specimen’s actual fixative and fixation duration, then compare similarly processed sections before attributing a signal difference to ZFP36L1 abundance (standard IHC practice). Keep section thickness, Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min, antibody incubation and detection constant across the comparison (page retrieval setting; standard IHC practice). Check preserved morphology and staining across the section; patchy tissue processing can mimic biological heterogeneity (standard IHC practice). Do not infer fixation sensitivity from expression patterns or phosphorylation sites (HPA tissue IHC; UniProt Q07352 modified residues).
Is nuclear or punctate ZFP36L1 staining plausible in paraffin sections?
Evaluate cytoplasmic and nuclear chromogen separately because both are listed ZFP36L1 locations (UniProt Q07352 localisation). Small cytoplasmic puncta are plausible given its reported presence in stress granules and processing bodies, although chromogenic IHC alone does not identify either structure (UniProt Q07352 localisation; standard IHC practice). Compare staining with cell boundaries and a hematoxylin counterstain, and verify that puncta recur in intact cells rather than only at tissue edges (standard IHC practice). ZFP36L1 has no transmembrane segment, so an exclusively crisp plasma membrane rim deserves scrutiny with an antibody control and adjacent section (UniProt Q07352 topology; standard IHC practice). Do not assign an RNA decay activity from compartmental staining alone (UniProt Q07352 function).
How can I assess epitope accessibility and antibody specificity?
Check the catalog antibody’s stated immunogen or epitope before interpreting a missing compartment, because the supplied record does not map that antibody’s binding site (A05651 caption; UniProt Q07352 record). UniProt lists a single 338 aa chain and no annotated isoforms, so an isoform specific staining explanation lacks support here (UniProt Q07352 processing and isoforms). Several serines are annotated as phosphorylated, including positions 54, 90, 92 and 203; whether those modifications alter this antibody’s binding is unknown (UniProt Q07352 modified residues; A05651 caption). The selected image includes a synthesized peptide blocking comparison, which supports an epitope competition check but cannot alone establish cellular specificity (A05651 caption; standard IHC practice). Compare matched sections with an independent antibody if available (standard IHC practice).
How would I check ZFP36L1 by IF alongside this IHC result?
For a separate IF experiment, multiplex ZFP36L1 with a marker for the expected cell type, such as a keratinocyte marker when examining epidermis (UniProt Q07352 tissue specificity; standard IF practice). Choose fluorophores after inspecting unstained tissue in each channel, placing the weaker signal in a channel with lower autofluorescence (standard IF practice). Because ZFP36L1 is nuclear and cytoplasmic and has no transmembrane segment, optimise permeabilisation for intracellular access while preserving cell boundaries (UniProt Q07352 localisation and topology; standard IF practice). Acquire single stain and secondary only controls, then check bleed through and background before calling puncta or nuclear enrichment (standard IF practice). The supplied HPA subcellular record lists no ICC/IF images, so it offers no image based IF localisation check (HPA subcellular).
What should I check when chromogen obscures ZFP36L1 positive cells?
Inspect a no primary control and the peptide blocked comparison where available; the selected A05651 image reports a synthesized peptide blocking panel (A05651 caption; standard IHC practice). Check whether brown signal follows intact cell contours or accumulates at folds, section edges, debris and areas of tissue damage (standard IHC practice). For peroxidase based chromogenic detection, verify the endogenous peroxidase block and limit DAB development before changing antibody dilution (standard IHC practice). Titrate the catalog antibody on adjacent sections using the same Tris-EDTA pH 9.0 retrieval at 95–98 °C for 20 min (page retrieval setting; standard IHC practice). Judge background against a matched negative control, since diffuse cytoplasmic staining can obscure genuine ZFP36L1 signal (HPA tissue IHC profile; standard IHC practice).
How should I score variable ZFP36L1 staining across a section? ⚠ ANSWER MARKED FOR VERIFICATION
Define the cell population and compartment before scoring, then record the percentage of positive cells and an H-score for cytoplasmic and nuclear signal separately (UniProt Q07352 localisation; standard IHC practice). An H-score uses intensity categories 0–3 multiplied by the percentage of cells in each category, giving a 0–300 range (standard IHC practice). Alternatively, report positive cells per mm² within a prespecified tissue region and normalise to the number of eligible intact cells or assessed area (standard IHC practice). Keep retrieval, chromogen development, section selection and scoring thresholds consistent across groups (standard IHC practice). Report the cell type because HPA lists high urothelial staining but its overall tissue IHC reliability is uncertain (HPA tissue IHC).
When is an apparent ZFP36L1 positive cell convincing?
Look for reproducible cellular staining in an anatomically identified population, with cytoplasmic or nuclear signal consistent with reported ZFP36L1 locations (UniProt Q07352 localisation; standard IHC practice). Compare matched controls and intact interior regions; edge concentrated signal, necrotic debris and endogenous peroxidase activity can produce misleading brown deposits (standard IHC practice). Check cell identity before treating a stained area as target positive: HPA reports high urothelial staining, while its tissue IHC reliability is classified uncertain (HPA tissue IHC). A crisp membrane only pattern needs further validation because ZFP36L1 has no transmembrane segment (UniProt Q07352 topology). Peptide blocking in the selected image is useful supporting evidence, but pair it with morphology and an independent control when making a biological claim (A05651 caption; standard IHC practice).
Boster reagents

Best ZFP36L1 / mRNA decay activator protein ZFP36L1 IHC Antibodies

Both anti-ZFP36L1 antibodies have IHC images from human paraffin sections; both list human, mouse and rat reactivity. Only A05651 lists IF, without an IF image (catalog applications; IHC image captions).

Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry analysis of paraffin-embedded human brain tissue, using TISB Antibody. The picture on the right is blocked with the synthesized peptide.
Anti-TIS11B ZFP36L1 Antibody
Cat # A05651
Real IHC data Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyzes of TIS11B (D88) pAb in paraffin-embedded human tonsil carcinoma tissue at 1:50.
Anti-TIS11B (D88) ZFP36L1 Antibody
Cat # A05651-1

A05651 has an IHC image from human paraffin-embedded brain tissue, including a peptide-blocked comparison; its catalog lists IHC and IF (A05651 image caption; catalog applications). A05651-1 has an IHC image from human paraffin-embedded tonsil carcinoma tissue at 1:50 and lists IHC only (A05651-1 image caption; catalog applications).

Which to pick: For tissue IHC, choose either according to the sample: A05651 has a human brain paraffin-section image, while A05651-1 has a human tonsil carcinoma paraffin-section image and is listed as polyclonal (each SKU’s image caption; A05651-1 catalog description). For IF, choose A05651 because IF is listed at 1:50; ICC validation and an IF image are unreported (A05651 catalog applications, dilution and image list). Both list human, mouse and rat reactivity, but their supplied IHC images show human tissue only; neither caption reports the fixative (catalog reactivity; each SKU’s IHC image caption).

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

References

  1. UniProt Consortium. UniProt entry Q07352 (TISB_HUMAN, mRNA decay activator protein ZFP36L1).
  2. Human Protein Atlas. ZFP36L1 tissue IHC expression (reliability: Uncertain).
  3. Human Protein Atlas. ZFP36L1 subcellular location (ICC-IF): Highest expression in HTCEpi: 339.4 nTPM.
  4. Human Protein Atlas. ZFP36L1 antibody validation summary (1 antibodies).
  5. The RNA binding proteins ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2 are dysregulated in airway epithelium in human and a murine model of asthma. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 2023 — PMC10624177.
  6. Myeloid ZFP36L1 does not regulate inflammation or host defense in mouse models of acute bacterial infection. PloS one 2014 — PMC4192124.
  7. Regulation of neuroendocrine plasticity by the RNA-binding protein ZFP36L1. Nature communications 2022 — PMC9411550.
  8. The oncogenic role of HIF-1α/miR-182-5p/ZFP36L1 signaling pathway in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer cell international 2021 — PMC8406720.
  9. PubMed PMID:8346037 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  10. PubMed PMID:8024689 — UniProt-cited evidence.
  11. PubMed PMID:8898945 — UniProt-cited evidence.