Chimeric promoters and their uses in plants

Abstract

The present invention provides novel promoters for use in plants. Specifically, the present invention provides novel chimeric promoters comprising combinations of plant viral enhancer elements and plant promoters. The present invention also provides DNA constructs; transgenic cells, plants, and seeds containing these novel chimeric promoters; and methods for preparing and using the same.

1 . A DNA molecule comprising a chimeric promoter sequence comprising a plant promoter comprising SEQ ID NO: 16, or a fragment thereof having promoter activity, operably linked to a nucleic acid sequence comprising a viral enhancer element comprising SEQ ID NO: 20, or a fragment thereof having enhancer activity. 
     
     
         2 . The DNA molecule of  claim 1 , wherein the chimeric promoter sequence comprises a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
 a) a DNA sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 3; and   b) a DNA sequence with at least about 98% sequence identity to a DNA sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 3.   
     
     
         3 . The DNA molecule of  claim 1 , wherein said chimeric promoter is operably linked to a transcribable DNA molecule. 
     
     
         4 . The DNA molecule of  claim 3 , wherein the transcribable DNA molecule is a gene of agronomic interest. 
     
     
         5 . The DNA molecule of  claim 4 , wherein the transcribable DNA molecule is a gene capable of providing herbicide resistance in plants. 
     
     
         6 . The DNA molecule of  claim 3 , wherein the transcribable DNA molecule is a gene capable of providing plant pest control in plants. 
     
     
         7 . A transgenic plant cell stably transformed with a DNA of  claim 1 , wherein said DNA molecule is operably linked to a transcribable DNA molecule. 
     
     
         8 . The transgenic plant cell of  claim 7 , wherein said transgenic plant cell is a dicotyledonous plant cell. 
     
     
         9 . The transgenic plant cell of  claim 8 , wherein said transgenic plant cell is selected from the group consisting of tobacco plant cell, tomato plant cell, potato plant cell, soybean plant cell, cotton plant cell, canola plant cell, sunflower plant cell, and alfalfa plant cell. 
     
     
         10 . A transgenic plant or plant part comprising the DNA molecule of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A seed produced from the transgenic plant of  claim 10 , wherein the seed comprises said DNA molecule. 
     
     
         12 . A progeny plant of the transgenic plant of  claim 10  or a part thereof, wherein the progeny plant comprises said DNA molecule. 
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a hybrid plant comprising:
 a) growing said transgenic plant of  claim 10  to a reproductive stage, and;   b) crossing said transgenic plant with another plant to produce said hybrid plant.   
     
     
         14 . A method of generating a plant with a beneficial agronomic trait comprising:
 a) transforming plant tissue with a DNA molecule of  claim 1  operably linked to a transcribable DNA molecule capable of providing said beneficial agronomic trait;   b) obtaining transformed plants; and   c) selecting a plant with said beneficial agronomic trait.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising producing a plurality of plants from said plant with said beneficial agronomic trait. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said plant with said beneficial agronomic trait is selected from the group consisting of wheat, maize, rye, rice, corn, oat, barley, sorghum, millet, tobacco, tomato, potato, soybean, cotton, canola, sunflower and alfalfa, asparagus, avocado, banana, barley, beans, beet, blackberry, blueberry, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, canola, cantaloupe, carrot, cassava, cauliflower, celery, cherry, cilantro, cucumber, eggplant, honey dew, jicama, lettuce, leeks, melon, onion, papaya, parsley, pea, peanut, pepper, plum, pomegranate, poplar, potato, pumpkin, quince, radish, raspberry, spinach, squash, strawberry, sugarbeet, sugarcane, sweet potato, tobacco, tomato, watermelon, yams, and zucchini. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said transcribable DNA molecule capable of providing said beneficial agronomic trait is a gene controlling the phenotype of a trait selected from the group consisting of: herbicide tolerance, insect control, modified yield, fungal disease resistance, virus resistance, nematode resistance, bacterial disease resistance, plant growth and development, starch production, modified oils production, high oil production, modified fatty acid content, high protein production, fruit ripening, enhanced animal and human nutrition, biopolymers, environmental stress resistance, pharmaceutical peptides and secretable peptides, improved processing traits, improved digestibility, enzyme production, flavor, nitrogen fixation, hybrid seed production, fiber production, and biofuel production.