The present invention provides compositions and methods for regulating expression of heterologous nucleotide sequences in a plant. Compositions are novel nucleotide sequences for seed-preferred promoters isolated from genes for Cim1 (cytokinin-induced message). cZ19B1 (maize 19 kDa zein); or mi1ps (myo-inositol-1-phosphate synthase). 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 seed-preferred promoters of the present invention and regenerating a stably transformed plant from the transformed plant cell.