I am staining for c-fos in ferret brain sections using this antibody (https://www.cellsignal.com/products/primary-antibodies/c-fos-9f6-rabbit-mab/2250). The sequence of ferret c-fos is highly homologous to mouse or human. While I got specific labeling using TSA amplification protocol, I couldn't get any any signal when I did DAB staining using the same antibody on the brain sections from the same animal. The procedures of DAB and TSA staining were very similar, except for the last step in which I used either DAB or TSA fluorophores.
I was wondering if anyone ever experienced the same problem and the potential solutions. Thank you!
DAB is generally a significantly less sensitive method than direct fluorescence or as Elizabeth noted TSA. Unless there is a specific reason (i.e. strong tissue autofluorescence) there is no reason to use DAB.