Abundance and diversity of fungal endophytes isolated from monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) grown in a Canadian research greenhouse

Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) is an herbaceous perennial vine of the Cucurbitaceae family native to the southern parts of China. In 2020 and 2021, monk fruit plants were grown from seeds in a research greenhouse at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, Canada. Fungal endophytes were isolated from seeds, seedlings, mature monk fruit plants, and fruits on potato dextrose agar and water agar media. At least 150 species of fungal endophytes representing approximately 60 genera and 20 orders were recovered in culture from the monk fruit tissues. Isolates were identified by microscopic examination and BLAST comparison of ITS sequences to published sequences in GenBank. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was carried out to explore the similarity of fungal communities among different plant parts. Our study showed that monk fruit plants are a rich source of fungal endophytes with the greatest abundance and diversity in leaves. This work has deepened our understanding of the intricate interactions between plants and fungi that sustain ecosystems and underpin plant health and resilience. This knowledge can inform strategies for developing climate-resilient crops and restoring ecosystems in the face of climate challenges and developing more sustainable and eco-friendly strategies for plant health management.