The baboon is an ideal animal model to study
human kidney development. The aim of the current study
was to use immunohistochemistry to localise the antigens
TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81, GCTM-2 and podocalyxin in the
developing baboon kidney where nephrogenesis was still
on-going and in kidneys where nephrogenesis was complete.
Fixed kidney sections from baboons delivered at 125,
140, 175 and 185 days gestation (term = 185 days) were
immuno-labelled with antibodies directed against TRA-
1-60, TRA-1-81, GCTM-2 and podocalyxin. In kidneys
with on-going nephrogenesis (125 and 140 days gestation),
TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81 and GCTM-2 were speciWcally
localised to the apical plasma membrane of the epithelium
of the ureteric ampullae and the collecting ducts, while
podocalyxin immunostaining was not detected. In kidneys
where nephrogenesis was complete (175 and 185 days gestation)
localisation of these markers was again very speciWcally
localised to the collecting ducts. In conclusion,
although further experimentation is required to conWrm the
identity of the speciWc cell types marked by these antibodies, this study provides new insight into the distribution of commonly utilised stem cell antibodies in the developing baboon kidney.