Little leaf disease symptoms including dwarfed, thickened and puckered leaves and shortened internodes of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) plants were observed in Meiktila, Myanmar 2012. The causal agent was detected by polymerase chain reaction using universal phytoplasma primers, and classified by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene, ribosomal protein (rp) gene and protein translocase subunit (secY) gene and RFLP analysis. The expected target phytoplasma DNA fragment of 1.8 kbp was amplified from the bitter gourd little leaf (BitLL) diseased samples. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of BitLL phytoplasma showed 99.7% to 99.9% identity with members of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' associated with sesame phyllody (SP), periwinkle phyllody (PeP) and periwinkle little leaf (PeLL) diseases in Myanmar. Moreover, rp and secY gene sequences of the BitLL isolate were 99.7% to 100%, and 99.9% to 100% identity among the SP, PeP and PeLL phytoplasma. However, putative restriction analysis revealed that the BitLL isolate missed one Mse I site on rp gene sequence while other isolates had the same restriction sites. Phylogenetic analysis of the three genes confirmed that the phytoplasma belongs to the 'Ca. P. asteris'. This is the first report of 'Ca. P. asteris' infecting a member of the family Cucurbitaceae in Myanmar.

A phytoplasma was detected in golden beard grass (Chrysopogon acicalatus) displaying white leaf symptoms near vegetative fields at the Tatkone region in Myanmar, 2011. Based on restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes, including the 16S-23S spacer region and part of the 23S rRNA gene, the phytoplasma was identified as a member of the Bermuda grass white leaf phytoplasma (BGWL) group. The golden beard grass white leaf phytoplasma (GBGWL) 16S rRNA gene sequence exhibited over 98.7% similarity with all members of BGWL group phytoplasmas and 99.5% similarity with Thailand Bermuda grass white leaf phytoplasma (AF248961). In addition, the GBGWL phytoplasma was confirmed to be a member of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis' by phylogenetic analyses.

China aster, Callistephus chinensis, is widely grown in Myanmar as an ornamental plant. Symptoms of flower virescence were observed in diseased China aster plants in Yezin, Myanmar. The presence of a phytoplasma was detected and identified by applying Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)/ Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) techniques and sequencing the 16S ribosomal DNA. The phytoplasma was identified as belonging to ribosomal subgroup 16SrII-A, never reported before in China aster. It showed almost 100 % similarity with a 16S rDNA sequence of sunn hemp witches' broom phytoplasma (AB558143), which belongs to the peanut witches' broom phytoplasma group. This is the first record of China aster as a new host for a subgroup 16SrII-A phytoplasma.

Phyllody symptoms in sesame plants consisting of green leaf-like floral organs were collected from Yezin area, NayPyiTaw Division, Myanmar in January, 2010 and the etiological agent was investigated. By using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), phytoplasma was detected from the symptoms and termed sesame phyllody phytoplasma (SP-MYAN). Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of 16S rDNA products revealed that the diseased sesames were infected by phytoplasma belonging to the group 16SrI and subgroup 16SrI-B. Sequence analysis confirmed that SP-MYAN was a member of Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris and most closely related to that of sesame phyllody phytoplasma from India (99.6 % similarity, DQ431843), Ca. P. asteris strain. To our knowledge, this is the first report on molecular identification of 'Ca. P. asteris' affecting sesame crop in Myanmar.