Home › Failure Case Library › Nuclear protein not detected due to insufficient permeabilization
Immunohistochemistry (No Staining) moderate

Nuclear protein not detected due to insufficient permeabilization

Symptom
No staining observed when targeting nuclear proteins. Antibody cannot access nuclear compartment despite proper antibody concentration and incubation time.
Common Causes
  1. 1 Antibody cannot penetrate nuclear membrane due to insufficient permeabilization
  2. 2 Weak or absent permeabilizing agents in blocking and antibody buffers
  3. 3 Nuclear envelope remains intact preventing antibody access to nuclear epitopes
Solutions
  1. 1 Add strong permeabilizing agent like Triton X to blocking buffer
  2. 2 Include Triton X in antibody dilution buffer
  3. 3 Increase permeabilization time for better nuclear penetration
  4. 4 Use concentration of 0.1-0.5% Triton X-100 for nuclear targets
Related Video (3)
Bilibili (China-Accessible Mirrors) ★ 82
Immunohistochemistry on Paraffin-Embedded Sections (CST Demo)
"CST paraffin IHC demo covering antigen retrieval and full staining workflow where permeabilization steps for nuclear targets are demonstrated."
Bilibili (China-Accessible Mirrors) ★ 74
Complete IHC Immunohistochemistry Protocol for Beginners
"Comprehensive beginner-friendly IHC workflow from sample prep to mounting, useful for understanding where permeabilization fits in the protocol."
Bilibili (China-Accessible Mirrors) ★ 70
Abcam Immunohistochemistry Protocol
"Focused Abcam IHC protocol demonstration giving benchwork reference for correct staining steps relevant to fixing permeabilization failures."
Source: abcam.com ↗
← Back to all cases