Expression control elements from the lemnaceae family

An expression construct comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:15;
• b) a nucleotide sequence comprising a functional fragment of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:15, wherein said fragment encodes a signal peptide;
• and
• c) a nucleotide sequence comprising a sequence having at least 95% sequence identity to the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:15, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a signal peptide, operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest and further comprising an operably linked promoter comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:4.

A method for expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant or plant cell or nodule, said method comprising introducing into the plant or plant cell or nodule an expression construct, said expression construct comprising an expression control element operably linked to a heterologous nucleotide sequence of interest, wherein said expression control element comprises a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of:

• a) a nucleotide sequence comprising the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1;
• b) a nucleotide sequence comprising at least 350 contiguous nucleotides of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1, wherein said nucleotide sequence initiates transcription in a plant cell, and wherein the nucleotide sequence comprises a TATA box;
• and
• c) a nucleotide sequence comprising a functional fragment of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 1, wherein said fragment initiates transcription in a plant cell.