Cloning, Expression, and Bioinformatics Analysis of the AvFD1 Gene in Amomum villosum Lour

As a perennial medicinal plant in the <i>Zingiber</i> genus, <i>Amomum villosum</i> Lour. faces agricultural challenges due to its prolonged vegetative and reproductive growth phases, which hinder efficient pollination and delay fruiting. To address this limitation, the present study aimed to identify the <i>FD</i> gene involved in regulating flowering in <i>A. villosum</i> to provide a basis for research on the molecular mechanisms of early fruiting cultivars. Based on the differentially expressed gene <i>AvFD1</i> obtained from the transcriptome database of early fruiting plants and controls, specific primers were designed for PCR to clone the full-length sequence of <i>AvFD1</i>. The characteristics of the cloned <i>AvFD1</i> gene were analyzed using online bioinformatics software. The expression profiles of <i>AvFD1</i> in various tissues and in 1- and 2-year bearing <i>A. villosum</i> varieties were investigated by quantitative real-time PCR. This study successfully cloned the <i>FD1</i> gene sequence of <i>A. villosum</i>, marking the first reported characterization of this gene in the species. Tissue-specific expression analysis revealed significantly elevated <i>AvFD1</i> expression levels in stolon tips and flower buds compared to tender leaves, suggesting its potential role as a positive regulator of flowering initiation. The obtained sequence establishes essential molecular data for subsequent functional validation of <i>AvFD1</i> in <i>A. villosum</i>.