Compositions, organisms, systems, and methods for expressing a gene product in plants

Abstract

The present disclosure relates, in some embodiments, to compositions, organisms, systems, and methods for expressing a gene product in a plant using a expression control sequence (ECS) operable in monocots and/or dicots. For example, (i) an isolated nucleic acid may comprise an ECS (e.g., a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter) and, optionally, an exogenous nucleic acid (ExNA) operably linked to the ECS; (ii) an expression vector may comprise an ECS; an ExNA; and, optionally, a 3' termination sequence, wherein the ECS has promoter activity sufficient to express the ExNA in at least one monocot and at least one dicot; (iii) a microorganism, plant cell, or plant may comprise an isolated nucleic acid; (iv) a method for constitutively expressing an ExNA in a plant (e.g., a monocot and/or a dicot) may comprise, contacting an expression vector with the cytosol of a cell of the plant, wherein the expression vector comprises the ExNA and an ECS operable to drive expression of the ExNA; and/or (v) a method of directing constitutive expression of a nucleic acid in a plant (e.g., a monocot and/or a dicot) may comprise transforming the plant with an expression nucleic acid comprising an ECS, an ExNA, and a 3′ termination sequence.