Compositions and methods for expressing transgenes using regulatory elements from chlorophyll binding Ab genes

1. A nucleic acid expression cassette, comprising a promoter operably linked to a non-chlorophyll binding Ab transgene, wherein said promoter comprises SEQ ID NO:6 or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:6.

2. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 1 , wherein said promoter consists of SEQ ID NO:6, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:6.

3. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a 5′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, wherein said 5′ untranslated region is inserted between, and operably linked to, said promoter sequence and said transgene.

4. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 3 , wherein said promoter and 5′ untranslated region consist of SEQ ID NO:5 or SEQ ID NO:10.

5. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a 3′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, wherein said 3′ untranslated region is operably linked to said transgene.

6. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 5 , wherein said 3′ untranslated region is part of a terminator comprising SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:9, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:4 or SEQ ID NO:9.

7. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a sequence encoding a selectable marker.

8. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 1 , wherein said transgene encodes a selectable marker, an interfering RNA, or a gene product conferring insecticidal resistance, herbicide tolerance, nitrogen use efficiency, water use efficiency, or nutritional quality.

9. The nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 8 , wherein said transgene confers tolerance to an herbicide selected from the group consisting of glyphosate, glufosinate, dicamba, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4-D), phenoxy auxins, pyridyloxy auxins, aryloxyphenoxypropionates, acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase), 4-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO), triazines, bromoxynil, imidazolinone, sulfonylurea, acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), and acetolactate synthase (ALS).

10. A nucleic acid vector, comprising a promoter operably linked to (i) a polylinker sequence, (ii) a non-chlorophyll binding Ab transgene, or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii), wherein said promoter comprises SEQ ID NO:6, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:6.

11. The nucleic acid vector of claim 10 , further comprising a 5′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, wherein said 5′ untranslated region is inserted between, and operably linked to said promoter sequence and said linker or said transgene.

12. The nucleic acid vector of claim 10 , further comprising a 3′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, wherein said 3′ untranslated region is operably linked to said linker or said transgene.

13. The nucleic acid vector of claim 10 , wherein said vector comprises SEQ ID NO:11, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:11.

14. A cell comprising said nucleic acid expression cassette of claim 1 .

15. The cell of claim 14 , wherein said cell is an Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacterial cell.

16. A plant or plant part comprising said cell of claim 14 .

17. The plant of claim 16 , wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of Arabidopsis , tobacco, tomato, maize, wheat, rice, sorghum, oats, rye, turf grass, bananas, sugar cane, soybean, cotton, potato, sunflower, and canola.

18. The plant of claim 17 , wherein said plant is Glycine max.

19. The cell of claim 14 , further comprising a 5′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, wherein said 5′ untranslated region is inserted between, and operably linked to said promoter sequence and said linker or said transgene.

20. The cell of claim 14 , further comprising a 3′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, wherein said 3′ untranslated region is operably linked to said linker or said transgene.

21. A method for expressing a transgene in a plant, comprising growing a plant comprising said gene expression cassette of claim 1 .

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said gene expression cassette further comprises a 5′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, wherein said 5′ untranslated region is inserted between, and operably linked to said promoter sequence and said linker or said transgene.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein said gene expression cassette further comprises a 3′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, wherein said 3′ untranslated region is operably linked to said linker or said transgene.

24. A method for expressing a transgene in a plant, comprising transforming a plant with said gene expression cassette of claim 1 .

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the gene expression cassette further comprises a 5′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:2 or SEQ ID NO:7, wherein said 5′ untranslated region is inserted between, and operably linked to said promoter sequence and said linker or said transgene.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the gene expression cassette further comprises a 3′ untranslated region comprising SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, or a sequence that has 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO:3 or SEQ ID NO:8, wherein said 3′ untranslated region is operably linked to said linker or said transgene.