Beluga whale genome sequenced in B.C.
Researchers used DNA from Vancouver Aquarium’s Aurora and Qila in making discovery
The legacy of Qila and Aurora lives on.
After the mother and daughter beluga whales died at the Vancouver Aquarium late last year, researchers were able to sequence the beluga whale genome for the first time.
It’s believed to be “one of the most complete mammalian genomes in the scientific world,” according to Dr. Steven Jones, head of bioinformatics at B.C. Cancer’s Genome Sciences Centre. The discovery could help boost conservation efforts of the species in a significant way.
A genome is a description for all DNA in a living organism. It contains all of the information needed to build the organism and allow it to grow, stored as a long sequence of DNA.
The sequence can explain the organism’s characteristics, inherited traits, diseases it may be susceptible to, and its historical origins.
The result of their work was published this week in scientific journal Genes.
In November 2016, Qila — the first beluga ever conceived and born in a Canadian aquarium — fell ill and died shortly after. Just nine days later, Qila’s mother Aurora also died after falling ill suddenly. Qila was 21, and Aurora was 30.
Lab work done on the belugas’ DNA following their deaths revealed it was a toxin that was the cause, though the tests could not identify the toxin.
“We had a lot of beluga DNA and we realized we had enough to sequence the complete beluga genome,” said Jones, who led the research with colleagues from the University of B.C. and the federal fisheries department. “… It will ultimately provide us with many tools to study beluga whales.”
The beluga whale has been designated an at-risk species in Canada, with two populations listed under the Species at Risk Act.
Vancouver Aquarium head veterinarian Dr. Martin Haulena called the sequencing “an important scientific initiative that will allow scientists to better understand how this at-risk species is faring in a quickly changing environment.”
“Our mission is to conserve and protect aquatic life,” said Haulena. “Qila and Aurora will continue to help us do that by providing information about their species well into the future.”