Annexin and p34 promoters and use in expression of transgenic genes in plants

Abstract

A seed specific plant annexin and P34 promoters and subfragments thereof and their use in promoting the expression of one or more heterologous nucleic acid fragments in plants are described.

1 . An isolated nucleic acid fragment comprising a seed-specific soybean annexin promoter.  
     
     
         2 . An isolated nucleic acid fragment comprising a seed-specific soybean promoter wherein said promoter consists essentially of the nucleotide sequence set forth in any of SEQ ID NO:1 or 13-22.  
     
     
         3 . An isolated nucleic acid fragment comprising a seed-specific P34 soybean promoter.  
     
     
         4 . An isolated nucleic acid fragment comprising a seed-specific soybean promoter wherein said promoter consists essentially of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         5 . A recombinant expression construct comprising at least one heterologous nucleic acid fragment operably linked to any one of the isolated nucleic acid fragments of any of claims  1 ,  2 ,  3 , or  4 .  
     
     
         6 . A plant comprising in its genome the recombinant expression construct of  claim 5 .  
     
     
         7 . The plant of  claim 6  wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of dicotyledonous plants.  
     
     
         8 . The plant of  claim 7  wherein the plant is soybean.  
     
     
         9 . The recombinant expression construct of  claim 5  wherein the heterologous nucleic acid fragment encodes an enzyme related to production of at least one long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid.  
     
     
         10 . A method for regulating expression of at least one heterologous nucleotide sequence in plant which comprises: 
 (a) transforming a plant cell with the recombinant expression construct of  claim 5;     (b) growing fertile mature plants from transformed plant cell of step (a); and    (c) selecting plants comprising a transformed plant cell expressing the heterologous nucleotide sequence.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the plant is a soybean plant.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the heterologous nucleic acid fragment encodes an enzyme related to production of at least one long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid.  
     
     
         13 . A method for regulating expression of at least one heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant which comprises: 
 (a) transforming a plant cell with a recombinant expression construct comprising at least one heterologous nucleic acid fragment operably linked to the isolated nucleic acid fragment of any of claims  1 ,  2 ,  3 , or  4 .    (b) growing fertile mature plants from transformed plant cell of step (a); and    (c) selecting plants comprising a transformed plant cell expressing the heterologous nucleotide sequence during early seed development.