The invention relates to promoter regions, under the control of which transgenes can be expressed in plants in an epidermis-specific and pathogen-inducible manner. The invention also relates to recombinant nucleic acid molecules, including said promoters, to transgenic plants and plant cells, transformed with said nucleic acid molecules and to methods for producing the same. Said invention also provides nucleic acid molecules, including a promoter according to the invention, nucleic acid sequences or transgenes, which can convey resistance to pathogens, plants and cell plants, transformed with said nucleic acid molecules and methods for producing the same. Said invention also relates to the use of the promoter region according to the invention for analyzing pathogen-induced signal transduction pathways in plant cells.