The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions are novel nucleotide sequences for a tissue preferred promoter isolated from the sorghum 16 kDa oleosin coding region. The sequences drive expression preferentially to seed tissue, and most preferably to embryo and/or aleurone tissue of a plant. Functional fragments of same are also provided. A method for expressing a nucleotide sequence in a plant using the regulatory sequences disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises transforming a plant cell to comprise a nucleotide sequence operably linked to one or more of the regulatory sequences of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant from the transformed plant cell.