Regulatory Nucleic Acid Molecules for Enhancing Constitutive Gene Expression in Plants

A method for producing a plant or part thereof with, compared to a respective control plant or part thereof, enhanced constitutive expression of one or more nucleic acid molecule comprising the steps of:

• a) introducing into the plant or part thereof one or more NEENA comprising:
• i) a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 and 14958 to 14960;
• or
• ii) a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence with an identity of at least 80% to a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• or
• iii) a fragment of 100 or more consecutive bases of a nucleic acid molecule of i) or ii) which has at least 65% or more expression enhancing activity as the corresponding nucleic acid molecule having a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• or
• iv) a nucleic acid molecule which is the complement or reverse complement of any of the previously mentioned nucleic acid molecules under i) or ii);
• or
• v) a nucleic acid molecule hybridizing under conditions equivalent to hybridization in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO4, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C. to a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 50 consecutive nucleotides of a transcription enhancing nucleotide sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• and
• b) functionally linking said one or more NEENA to a constitutive promoter and to a nucleic acid molecule being under the control of said constitutive promoter, wherein the NEENA is heterologous to said nucleic acid molecule.

A recombinant expression construct comprising one or more NEENA comprising:

• i) a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 and 14958 to 14960;
• or
• ii) a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence with an identity of at least 80% to a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• or
• iii) a fragment of 100 or more consecutive bases of a nucleic acid molecule of i) or ii) which has at least 65% or more expression enhancing activity as the corresponding nucleic acid molecule having a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• or
• iv) a nucleic acid molecule which is the complement or reverse complement of any of the previously mentioned nucleic acid molecules under i) or ii);
• or
• v) a nucleic acid molecule hybridizing under conditions equivalent to hybridization in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO4, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C. to a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 50 consecutive nucleotides of a transcription enhancing nucleotide sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960.

A transgenic plant or part thereof:

• i) a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• I to 14937 and 14958 to 14960;
• or
• ii) a nucleic acid molecule having a sequence with an identity of at least 80% to a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• or
• iii) a fragment of 100 or more consecutive bases of a nucleic acid molecule of i) or ii) which has at least 65% or more expression enhancing activity as the corresponding nucleic acid molecule having a sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960;
• or
• iv) a nucleic acid molecule which is the complement or reverse complement of any of the previously mentioned nucleic acid molecules under i) or ii);
• or
• v) a nucleic acid molecule hybridizing under conditions equivalent to hybridization in 7% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 0.5 M NaPO4, 1 mM EDTA at 50° C. with washing in 2×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 50° C. to a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 50 consecutive nucleotides of a transcription enhancing nucleotide sequence selected from SEQ ID NOS:
• 1 to 14937 or 14958 to 14960.