Glucose inhibits the shoot bud formation in the moss Bryum billarderi

Plant development is controlled by certain factors such as nutrient availability, environmental cues and the presence of signalling molecules. It has been proposed that phytohormones interact with sugars to modulate important processes in vascular plants. Cytokinins are key hormones because they regulate a large number of metabolic events, and sugars act as regulatory signals at several points in the life cycle. Bryum bilarderi Schwägr is a moss that was isolated by our group in the central highlands of Mexico and has demonstrated the ability to tolerate abiotic stresses. To study the effect of cytokinins and their interaction with glucose in bud induction, different concentrations of cytokinins with glucose were tested. One micromolar N-6-benzylaminopurine provided the best results for bud induction, but when 100 mM glucose was added, bud formation was inhibited. This glucose concentration also favoured the spread of the protonemal colony. These data demonstrate that N-6-benzylaminopurine is more effective than kinetin in inducing buds, and that glucose plays an important role as an inhibitory signalling molecule for the bud induction process that is mediated by cytokinins in the moss B. billarderi.