The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions are novel nucleotide sequences for a constitutive regulatory element isolated from sorghum. A method for expressing a heterologous nucleotide sequence in a plant using the regulatory sequences disclosed herein is provided. The method comprises transforming a plant cell to comprise a heterologous 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.