The present invention provides methods, vectors and gene constructs for
enhancing expression of a recombinant nucleic acid sequence in transgenic
plants and plant tissues. According to the present invention, nucleic
acid sequences are obtained and/or derived from the 5' and 3'
untranslated regions of genes encoding osmotin proteins and engineered to
flank respective portions of a selected coding region of a vector. The
vector construct may be introduced into plants and/or plant tissues
through conventional procedures, resulting in enhanced expression of the
selected coding region. In a preferred embodiment, the selected coding
region is a chimeric gene or gene fragment expressing one or more
proteins known to impart a level of insecticidal activity to a transgenic
plant and/or plant tissue.
