Somatic embryogenesis receptor-like kinase 1 (SERK1) is a cell membrane receptor active in different plant tissues and involved in cell differentiation activities including somatic embryogenesis. The identification of promoter elements responsible for SERK1 expression during the onset of somatic embryogenesis can be useful to understand the molecular regulation of the cell-to embryo transition, and these promoter elements represent biotechnological tools in plant organ tissue culture.