摘要The stress hormone ethylene plays a key role in plant adaptation to adverse environmental con-ditions. Nitrogen (N) is the most quantitatively required mineral nutrient for plants, and its avail-ability is a major determinant for crop production. Changes in N availability or N forms can alter ethylene biosynthesis and/or signaling. Ethylene serves as an important cellular signal to mediate root system architecture adaptation, N uptake and translocation, ammonium toxicity, anthocyanin accumulation, and premature senescence, thereby adapting plant growth and development to external N status. Here, we review the ethylene-mediated morphological and physiological re-sponses and highlight how ethylene transduces the N signals to the adaptive responses. We spe-cifically discuss the N-ethylene relations in rice, an important cereal crop in which ethylene is essen-tial for its hypoxia survival.