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) ★ 85
Immunohistochemistry on Paraffin-Embedded Sections (CST Demo)
"Explicitly covers antigen retrieval and permeabilization steps critical for nuclear protein detection in paraffin-embedded tissues"
Cell Signaling Technology ★ 82
Better IHC Step 1: Antigen Retrieval
"Focused video series on antigen retrieval optimization, the primary determinant of nuclear membrane permeabilization success"
Bilibili (China-Accessible Mirrors) ★ 72
Complete IHC Immunohistochemistry Protocol for Beginners
"Comprehensive protocol walkthrough that includes proper permeabilization procedures needed to access nuclear compartments"
Source: abcam.com ↗
← Back to all cases