Pollen preferred promoters and methods of use

Abstract

Compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant are provided. Compositions include nucleotide sequences encompasses a strong pollen preferred promoter which drives strong, specific expression of gene products in pollen. Also provided is a method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using a promoter sequence disclosed herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for selectively expressing gene products in plant male tissue, comprising
 a) transforming a plant using an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a polynucleotide selected from the group comprising:
 (i) a nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:53, 54, 55 and 56; 
 (ii) a nucleotide sequence comprising a fragment or variant of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53, 54, 55 and 56, wherein the sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell; 
 (iii) a polynucleotide which is complementary to the polynucleotide of (a) or (b), 
   b) growing the plant under normal plant growing conditions, where the polynucleotide encodes a pollen preferred promoter which drives pollen specific expression.   
     
     
         2 . An expression cassette comprising the polynucleotide of  claim 1  operably linked to a heterologous polynucleotide of interest. 
     
     
         3 . A vector comprising the expression cassette of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         4 . A plant cell comprising the expression cassette of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         5 . The plant cell of  claim 4 , wherein said expression cassette is stably integrated into the genome of the plant cell. 
     
     
         6 . The plant cell of  claim 4 , wherein said plant cell is from a dicot. 
     
     
         7 . The plant cell of  claim 6 , wherein said dicot is soybean. 
     
     
         8 . A plant comprising the expression cassette of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The plant of  claim 8 , wherein said plant is a dicot. 
     
     
         10 . The plant of  claim 9 , wherein said dicot is soybean. 
     
     
         11 . The plant of  claim 8 , wherein said expression cassette is stably incorporated into the genome of the plant. 
     
     
         12 . A transgenic seed of the plant of  claim 11 , wherein the seed comprises the expression cassette. 
     
     
         13 . The plant of  claim 8  wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that is involved in cell ablation, prevention of transgene transmission, organ development, stem cell development, cell growth stimulation, organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis initiation, self-reproducing plants and development of the apical meristem. 
     
     
         14 . The plant of  claim 13  wherein said gene is selected from the group consisting of: ADP Ribosylase, DMETH, BA-BARNASE-INT or other cell growth inhibitor. 
     
     
         15 . The plant of  claim 8 , wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that confers drought tolerance, cold tolerance, herbicide tolerance, pathogen resistance or insect resistance. 
     
     
         16 . The plant of  claim 8 , wherein expression of said polynucleotide alters the phenotype of said plant. 
     
     
         17 . A method for expressing a polynucleotide in a plant or a plant cell, said method comprising introducing into the plant or the plant cell an expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to a heterologous polynucleotide of interest, wherein said promoter comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:53, 54, 55 and 56;   (b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a fragment or variant of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53, 54, 55 and 56, wherein the sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell;   (c) a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to (a) or (b)   where the nucleotide sequence encodes a pollen preferred promoter which drives pollen specific expression.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that is involved in cell ablation, prevention of transgene transmission organ development, stem cell development, cell growth stimulation, organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis initiation, self-reproducing plants and development of the apical meristem. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said gene is selected from the group consisting of: ADP Ribosylase, DMETH, BA-BARNASE-INT or other cell growth inhibitor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that confers drought tolerance, cold tolerance, herbicide tolerance, pathogen resistance or insect resistance. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said plant is a dicot. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said heterologous polynucleotide of interest is expressed preferentially in early pollen cells of said plant. 
     
     
         23 . A method for expressing a polynucleotide preferentially in pollen cells of a plant, said method comprising introducing into a plant cell an expression cassette and regenerating a plant from said plant cell, said plant having stably incorporated into its genome the expression cassette, said expression cassette comprising a promoter operably linked to a heterologous polynucleotide of interest, wherein said promoter comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53, 54, 55 and 56;   (b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a fragment or variant of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53, 54, 55 and 56, wherein the sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell;   (c) a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to (a) or (b)   where the polynucleotide encodes a pollen preferred promoter which drives pollen specific expression.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that is involved in cell ablation, prevention of transgene transmission organ development, stem cell development, cell growth stimulation, organogenesis, somatic embryogenesis initiation, self-reproducing plants and development of the apical meristem. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein said gene is selected from the group consisting of: ADP Ribosylase, DMETH, BA-BARNASE-INT or other cell growth inhibitor. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the heterologous polynucleotide of interest encodes a gene product that confers drought tolerance, cold tolerance, herbicide tolerance, pathogen resistance or insect resistance. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said plant is a dicot.