Promoter molecules for use in plants

Abstract

The present invention relates to polynucleotide molecules for regulating gene expression in plants. In particular, the invention relates to promoters that are useful for regulating gene expression of heterologous polynucleotide molecules in plants. The invention also relates to expression constructs and transgenic plants containing the heterologous polynucleotide molecules.

1. An isolated promoter A polynucleotide molecule comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of
 (a) a polynucleotide sequence comprising the nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 4, wherein SEQ ID NO:4 has promoter activity; and 
 (b) a polynucleotide sequence comprising a fragment of the polynucleotide sequence of (a) SEQ ID NO:4 that retains the promoter activity of the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO:4, wherein said promoter polynucleotide sequence is operably linked to a heterologous transcribable polynucleotide molecule. 
 
     
     
       2. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , wherein said promoter polynucleotide molecule comprises a polynucleotide sequence comprising at least 75 contiguous nucleotides of the polynucleotide sequence of (a) SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       3. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , wherein said promoter polynucleotide molecule comprises a polynucleotide sequence comprising at least 125 contiguous nucleotides of the polynucleotide sequence of (a) SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       4. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , wherein said promoter polynucleotide molecule comprises a polynucleotide sequence comprising at least 250 contiguous nucleotides of the polynucleotide sequence of (a) SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       5. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , comprising the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1. 
     
     
       6. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , comprising the polynucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       7. The promoter of  claim 1 , comprising a polynucleotide sequence comprising a fragment of SEQ ID NO: 1 that retains the promoter activity of SEQ ID NO: 1. 
     
     
       8. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , comprising a polynucleotide sequence comprising a fragment of SEQ ID NO:4 that retains the promoter activity of SEQ ID NO:4. 
     
     
       9. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , wherein said transcribable polynucleotide molecule is a gene of agronomic interest. 
     
     
       10. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 9 , wherein the gene of agronomic interest is an oil enhancing gene selected from the group consisting of Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase, Phosphatidic Acid Phosphatase, and Leucoanthocyanidin Dioxygenase. 
     
     
       11. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 9 , wherein the gene of agronomic interest is a starch enhancing gene encoding Sucrose Phosphorylase. 
     
     
       12. The promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 , wherein said transcribable polynucleotide molecule is a marker gene. 
     
     
       13. A transgenic plant or part thereof stably transformed with the promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. The transgenic plant or part thereof of  claim 13 , wherein said plant is a dicotyledonous plant selected from the group consisting of tobacco, tomato, potato, soybean, cotton, canola, sunflower, and alfalfa. 
     
     
       15. The transgenic plant or part thereof of  claim 13 , wherein said transcribable polynucleotide molecule confers altered cell proliferation in the embryo, aleurone, or both to said transgenic plant. 
     
     
       16. The transgenic plant or part thereof of  claim 13 , wherein said transcribable polynucleotide molecule confers altered oil content in the embryo, aleurone. or both to said transgenic plant. 
     
     
       17. The transgenic plant or part thereof of  claim 13 , wherein said transcribable polynucleotide molecule confers altered protein quality in the embryo, aleurone, or both to said transgenic plant. 
     
     
       18. The transgenic plant or part thereof of  claim 13 , wherein said transcribable polynucleotide molecule confers altered micronutrient content to said transgenic plant. 
     
     
       19. A seed transformed with the promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       20. A cell transformed with the promoter polynucleotide molecule of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       21. A method of making a vegetable oil, comprising the steps of:
 a) obtaining the transgenic seed of  claim 19 ; and 
 b) extracting oil from the seed. 
 
     
     
       22. A method of making a vegetable protein, comprising the steps of:
 a) obtaining the transgenic seed of  claim 19 ; and 
 b) extracting the protein from the seed. 
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the promoter is operably linked to a transcribable polynucleotide molecule conferring confers altered protein content. 
     
     
       24. A method of making food or feed comprising
 a) obtaining the plant or part thereof of  claim 13 ; and 
 b) preparing food or feed from the plant or part thereof.