| Summary: | Coffee has immense value as a worldwide-appreciated commodity. However, its production faces the effects of climate change and the spread of severe diseases such as coffee leaf rust (CLR). The exploration of fungal endophytes associated with <i>Coffea</i> sp. has already found the existence of nearly 600 fungal species, but their role in the plants remains practically unknown. We have researched the diversity of leaf fungal endophytes in two <i>Coffea arabica</i> varieties: one susceptible and one resistant to CLR. Then, we conducted cross-infection essays with four common endophyte species (three <i>Colletotrichum</i> sp. and <i>Xylaria</i> sp. 1) and <i>Hemileia vastatrix</i> (CLR) in leaf discs, to investigate the interaction of the endophytes on CLR colonisation success and severity of infection. Two <i>Colletotrichum</i> sp., when inoculated 72 h before <i>H. vastatrix</i>, prevented the colonisation of the leaf disc by the latter. Moreover, the presence of endophytes prior to the arrival of <i>H. vastatrix</i> ameliorated the severity of CLR. Our work highlights both the importance of characterising the hidden biodiversity of endophytes and investigating their potential roles in the plant-endophyte interaction.
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