Isolated rice LP2 promoters and uses thereof

1. An isolated rice LP2 promoter consisting of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof, wherein the segment or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to the full length SEQ ID NO:2, and

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:4; and

wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of an operably linked nucleic acid in a plant; and wherein said rice LP2 promoter is operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid sequence.

2. The isolated rice LP2 promoter of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is at least about 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:3.

3. The isolated rice LP2 promoter of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is 100% identical to SEQ ID NO:1.

4. The isolated rice LP2 promoter of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is 100% identical to SEQ ID NO:3.

5. An expression cassette comprising an isolated rice LP2 promoter operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the isolated rice LP2 consists of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof, wherein the segment or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to the full length SEQ ID NO:2, and

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:4; and

wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of an operably linked nucleic acid in a plant.

6. An expression vector comprising the expression cassette of claim 5 .

7. A method for making a transgenic plant, the method comprising:

(i) transforming a plant, plant part, or plant cell with an expression vector comprising an isolated rice LP2 promoter operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid, wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter consists of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof; wherein the segment of or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to the full length SEQ ID NO:2, and

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:4; and

wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of the heterologous nucleic acid in a plant,

(ii) selecting transformants comprising the expression vector which comprises the isolated rice LP2 promoter operably linked to the heterologous nucleic acid, and

(iii) growing the transformed plant, plant part, or plant cell into a whole plant, thereby producing a transgenic plant.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises:

(iv) conducting a sexual cross with the transgenic plant,

(v) obtaining seed from the sexual cross,

(vi) growing the seed from the sexual cross, and

(vii) selecting plants grown from the seed of the sexual cross which comprise the expression vector comprising an isolated rice LP2 promoter sequence operably linked to the heterologous nucleic acid sequence,

thereby producing a transgenic plant.

9. A transgenic plant comprising an isolated rice LP2 promoter operably linked to a heterologous nucleic acid sequence wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter consists of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof, wherein the segment or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to the full length SEQ ID NO:2, and

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:4; and

wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of an operably linked nucleic acid in a plant.

10. The transgenic plant of claim 9 , wherein the plant is a dicotyledonous plant.

11. The transgenic plant of claim 10 , wherein the dicotyledonous plant is a member selected from the group consisting of: alfalfa ( Medicago saliva ), sunflower ( Helianthus annus ), soybean ( Glycine max ), tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ), potato ( Solanum tuberosum ), peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea ), cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum ), sugar beets ( Beta vulgaris ), apple ( Malus pumila ), blackberry ( Rubus ), strawberry ( Fragaria ), walnut ( Juglans regia ), grape ( Vitis vinifera ), apricot ( Prunus armeniaca ), cherry ( Prunus ), peach ( Prunus persica ), plum ( Prunus domestica ), pear ( Pyrus communis ), watermelon ( Citrullus vulgaris ), tomatoes; ( Solanum lycopersicum ), and lettuce ( Lactuea sativa ).

12. The transgenic decendants of the transgenic plant of claim 9 .

13. The transgenic plant of claim 9 , wherein the plant is a monocotyledonous plant.

14. The transgenic plant of claim 13 , wherein the monocotyledonous plant is a member selected from the group consisting of: rice ( Oryza sativa ), wheat ( Triticum aestivum ), durum ( Triticum durum ), barley ( Hordeum vulgare ), switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ), corn ( Zea mays ), sorghum, ( Sorghum bicolor ), sugarcane ( Saccharum sp.), rye ( Secale cereale ), oat ( Avena sativa ), banana ( Musa sp.), millet ( Pennisetum sp.), onion ( Allium cepa ) and garlic ( Allium sativum ).

15. A method for controlling transcription of a heterologous nucleic acid in a plant or plant cell, the method comprising:

(i) transforming a plant or plant cell with an expression vector comprising an isolated rice LP2 promoter operably linked to the heterologous nucleic acid wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter consists of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof, wherein the segment or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to the full length SEQ ID NO:2, and

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:4;

wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of the operably linked heterologous nucleic acid in a plant, thereby producing a transformed plant or plant cell; and

(ii) growing the transformed plant or plant cell under conditions where the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of the heterologous nucleic acid in the plant or plant cell.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expression of the heterologous nucleic acid is induced in response to light.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expression of the heterologous nucleic acid is induced in response to pest attack.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes an antimicrobial gene product.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the heterologous nucleic acid encodes a transcription factor that activates genes for the expression of anthocyanin or pigment accumulation.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expression of the heterologous nucleic acid up-regulates the expression of a nucleic acid that encodes a gene product that functions in photosynthesis.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the expression of the heterologous nucleic acid down-regulates the expression of an endogenous nucleic acid.

22. A kit comprising an expression vector comprising an isolated rice LP2 promoter wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter consists of a selected from the group consisting of:

a nucleic acid sequence nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof, wherein the segment or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to the full length SEQ ID NO:2, and

a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 95% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:4;

wherein the isolated rice LP2 promoter controls transcription of an operably linked nucleic acid in a plant and written instructions for using the kit to express heterologous nucleic acid sequences in plants and plant cells.

23. The isolated rice LP2 promoter of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is at least 99% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3.

24. The isolated rice LP2 promoter of claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence of claim 1 is at least 99% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:3 or a segment or fragment thereof, wherein the segment or fragment thereof comprises a nucleic acid sequence that is at least 99% sequence identical to SEQ ID NO:2.