Ubiquitin regulatory nucleic acids, vectors, and methods of using same

A method for expressing a nucleotide sequence of interest in a plant cell, the method comprising:

• (a) transforming a plant cell with a DNA molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence comprising a first isolated regulatory element having promoter activity and comprising a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 2 and a nucleotide sequence comprising a functional fragment of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 2, wherein said functional fragment of SEQ ID NO:
• 2 retains promoter activity, said first regulatory element is operably linked to a nucleotide sequence of interest which is further operably linked to a second regulatory element having polyadenylation activity and selected from the group consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:
• 4 and a nucleotide sequence comprising a functional fragment of the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:
• 4, and wherein said functional fragment of SEQ ID NO:
• 4 retains polyadenylation activity, and wherein said nucleotide sequence of interest is heterologous to said first and second regulatory elements;
• and
• (b) growing said plant cell to produce a plant expressing said nucleotide sequence of interest.