This invention relates generally to the field of plant molecular biology. More specifically, this invention relates to methods and reagents for the temporally- and/or spatially-regulated expression of genes, particularly in plant seeds and related female reproductive tissue. The present invention also provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions comprise novel nucleotide sequences for a seed-preferred promoter known as eep1. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the promoter sequences disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises transforming a plant cell to comprise a heterologous nucleotide sequence operably linked to one of the promoters of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant from the transformed plant cell.