Tissue-specific regulatory sequences, including promoters from barley (Hordeum vulgare) genes encoding .alpha.-glucosidase and cystatin-1 (cysteine protease inhibitor) have been identified and isolated. The gene promoters have particular utility in directing high level, germination preferred expression of heterologous proteins that impart increased agronomic and malting characteristics to a given plant. In addition, the invention relates to methods of producing transgenic plants by using chimeric genes, cassette vectors, kits, cells and methods comprising the promoter and signal sequence coding region of the gene for barley .alpha.-glucosidase and the gene for barley cystatin-1.