The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions include a novel nucleotide sequence for a tissue-preferred promoter for the Zea mays gene encoding INVINH1. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the promoter sequences disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises stably incorporating into the genome of a plant cell a polynucleotide operably linked to the promoter of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant that expresses the linked polynucleotide.