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Background  Nitrate uptake is a highly regulated process. Understanding the intricate interactions between nitrate availability and genetically-controlled nitrate acquisition and metabolism is essential for improving nitrogen use efficiency and increasing nitrate uptake capacity for plants grown in both nitrate-poor and nitrate-enriched environments. In this report, we introduced into tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ) the constitutively expressed maize high-affinity transporter ZmNrt2.1 gene that would bypass the tight control for the endogenous nitrate-responsive genes. By using calcium inhibitors and varying levels of NO 3   − , Ca 2+  and K + , we probed how the host plants were affected in their nitrate response.    Results  We found that the ZmNrt2.1-expressing plants had better root growth than the wild type plants when Ca 2+  was deficient regardless of the nitrate levels. The growth restriction associated with Ca 2+ -deficiency can be alleviated with a high level of K + . Furthermore, the transgenic plants exhibited altered expression patterns of several endogenous, nitrate-responsive genes, including the high- and low-affinity nitrate transporters, the Bric-a-Brac/Tramtrack/Broad protein BT2 and the transcription factor TGA-binding protein TGA1, in responding to treatments of NO 3   − , K +  or inhibitors for the calcium channel and the cytosolic Ca 2+ -regulating phospholipase C, as compared to the wild type plants under the same treatments. Their expression was not only responsive to nitrate, but also affected by Ca 2+ . There were also different patterns of gene expression between roots and shoots.    Conclusion  Our results demonstrate the ectopic effect of the maize nitrate transporter on the host plant’s overall gene expression of nitrate sensing system, and further highlight the involvement of calcium in nitrate sensing in tobacco plants.    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s40529-017-0203-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tobacco plants expressing the maize nitrate transporter ZmNrt2.1 exhibit altered responses of growth and gene expression to nitrate and calcium