Molecular detection and characterization of a phytoplasma associated with maize bushy stunt in Vietnam

Maize bushy stunt symptoms were observed in Quang Ngai province, Vietnam. A nested polymerase chain reaction assay using phytoplasma-universal primer pairs P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2 amplified products of about 1, 200 bp from samples collected from these maize bushy stunt showing samples, whereas no amplicon was detected from the symptomless samples collected from northern Vietnam. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 16S rDNA products revealed that phytoplasma associated with maize bushy stunt symptom in Quang Ngai shared 99% sequence homology with a phytoplasma strain from maize bushy stunt in Colombia, member of the 16SrI, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ group. This is the first detection and identification of a phytoplasma associated with the maize bushy stunt disease in Vietnam.