Rawlinson Kate A.

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Last Name
Rawlinson
First Name
Kate A.
ORCID
0000-0001-8297-8405

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  • Article
    Extraocular, rod-like photoreceptors in a flatworm express xenopsin photopigment
    (eLife Sciences Publications, 2019-10-22) Rawlinson, Kate A. ; Lapraz, Francois ; Ballister, Edward R. ; Terasaki, Mark ; Rodgers, Jessica ; McDowell, Richard J. ; Girstmair, Johannes ; Criswell, Katharine E. ; Boldogkoi, Miklos ; Simpson, Fraser ; Goulding, David ; Cormie, Claire ; Hall, Brian K. ; Lucas, Robert J. ; Telford, Maximilian J.
    Animals detect light using opsin photopigments. Xenopsin, a recently classified subtype of opsin, challenges our views on opsin and photoreceptor evolution. Originally thought to belong to the Gαi-coupled ciliary opsins, xenopsins are now understood to have diverged from ciliary opsins in pre-bilaterian times, but little is known about the cells that deploy these proteins, or if they form a photopigment and drive phototransduction. We characterized xenopsin in a flatworm, Maritigrella crozieri, and found it expressed in ciliary cells of eyes in the larva, and in extraocular cells around the brain in the adult. These extraocular cells house hundreds of cilia in an intra-cellular vacuole (phaosome). Functional assays in human cells show Maritigrella xenopsin drives phototransduction primarily by coupling to Gαi. These findings highlight similarities between xenopsin and c-opsin and reveal a novel type of opsin-expressing cell that, like jawed vertebrate rods, encloses the ciliary membrane within their own plasma membrane.
  • Article
    The life cycle of the Acropora coral-eating flatworm (AEFW), Prosthiostomum acroporae; the influence of temperature and management guidelines
    (Frontiers Media, 2019-09-04) Barton, Jonathan A. ; Hutson, Kate S. ; Bourne, David G. ; Humphrey, Craig ; Dybala, Cat ; Rawlinson, Kate A.
    As coral aquaculture is increasing around the world for reef restoration and trade, mitigating the impact of coral predators, pathogens and parasites is necessary for optimal growth. The Acropora coral-eating flatworm (AEFW), Prosthiostomum acroporae (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Prosthiostomidae) feeds on wild and cultivated Acropora species and its inadvertent introduction into reef tanks can lead to the rapid death of coral colonies. To guide the treatment of infested corals we investigated the flatworm’s life cycle parameters at a range of temperatures that represent those found in reef tanks, coral aquaculture facilities and seasonal fluctuations in the wild. We utilized P. acroporae from a long-term in vivo culture on Acropora species to examine the effects of temperature (3°C increments from 21 to 30°C) on flatworm embryonation period, hatching success, hatchling longevity, and time to sexual maturity. Our findings show that warmer seawater shortened generation times; at 27°C it took, on average, 11 days for eggs to hatch, and 35 days for flatworms to reach sexual maturity, giving a minimum generation time of 38 days, whereas at 24°C the generation time was 64 days. Warmer seawater (24–30°C) also increased egg hatching success compared to cooler conditions (21°C). These results indicate that warmer temperatures lead to higher population densities of P. acroporae. Temperature significantly increased the growth rate of P. acroporae, with individuals reaching a larger size at sexual maturity in warmer temperatures, but it did not influence hatchling longevity. Hatchlings, which can swim as well as crawl, can survive between 0.25 and 9 days in the absence of Acropora, and could therefore disperse between coral colonies and inter-connected aquaria. We used our data to predict embryonation duration and time to sexual maturity at 21–30°C, and discuss how to optimize current treatments to disrupt the flatworm’s life cycle in captivity.
  • Article
    Single-cell transcriptomics of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni first intra-molluscan stage reveals tentative tegumental and stem-cell regulators
    (Nature Research, 2024-03-12) Diaz Soria, Carmen L. ; Attenborough, Teresa ; Lu, Zhigang ; Fontenla, Santiago ; Graham, Jennie ; Hall, Christopher ; Thompson, Sam ; Andrews, Toby G. R. ; Rawlinson, Kate A. ; Berriman, Matthew ; Rinaldi, Gabriel
    Schistosomiasis is a major Neglected Tropical Disease, caused by the infection with blood flukes in the genus Schistosoma. To complete the life cycle, the parasite undergoes asexual and sexual reproduction within an intermediate snail host and a definitive mammalian host, respectively. The intra-molluscan phase provides a critical amplification step that ensures a successful transmission. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of the intra-molluscan stages remain poorly understood. Here, single cell suspensions from S. mansoni mother sporocysts were produced and sequenced using the droplet-based 10X Genomics Chromium platform. Six cell clusters comprising two tegument, muscle, neuron, parenchyma and stem/germinal cell clusters were identified and validated by in situ hybridisation. Gene Ontology term analysis predicted key biological processes for each of the clusters, including three stem/germinal sub-clusters. Furthermore, putative transcription factors predicted for stem/germinal and tegument clusters may play key roles during parasite development and interaction with the intermediate host.