# Twenty-nine newly sequenced genomes and a comprehensive genome dataset for the insect endosymbiont Buchnera

## TL;DR

This paper presents 29 new genomes of Buchnera, an insect endosymbiont, offering insights into how their genomes shrink over time.

## Contribution

The study provides a comprehensive and diverse Buchnera genome dataset from 14 aphid subfamilies.

## Key findings

- Buchnera genomes show significant genomic differences across aphid lineages.
- The dataset includes a balanced range of genome sizes from 400 kb to 600 kb.
- The data reveal insights into the microevolutionary processes of genome reduction in insect endosymbionts.

## Abstract

Most phloem-feeding insects face nutritional deficiency and rely on their intracellular symbionts to provide nutrients, and most of endosymbiont genomes have undergone reduction. However, the study of genome reduction processes of endosymbionts has been constrained by the limited availability of genome data from different insect lineages. The obligate relationship between aphids and Buchnera aphidicola (hereafter Buchnera) makes them a classic model for studying insect-endosymbiont interaction. Here, we report 29 newly sequenced Buchnera genomes from 11 aphid subfamilies, and a comprehensive dataset based on 90 Buchnera genomes from 14 aphid subfamilies. The dataset shows a significant genomic difference of Buchnera among different aphid lineages. The dataset exhibits a more balanced distribution of Buchnera (from 14 aphid subfamilies) genome sizes, ranging from 400 kb to 600 kb, which can illustrate the genome reduction process of Buchnera. The new genome data provide valuable insights into the microevolutionary processes leading to genomic reduction of insect endosymbionts.