The invention relates to compositions and methods useful for the production of transgenic plants. In particular, the invention relates to cassava vein mosaic virus (CsVMV) promoter sequences sequences and expression cassettes containing CsVMV promoter sequences. The invention describes nucleic acid molecules, vectors and transgenic plants containing promoters derived from CsVMV promoter that are operatively linked to heterologous DNA sequences, and methods for producing transgenic plants containing these promoters.