Interplay between ethylene and nitrogen nutrition: How ethylene orchestrates nitrogen responses in plants

The stress hormone ethylene plays a key role in plant adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. Nitrogen (N) is the most quantitatively required mineral nutrient for plants, and its availability 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 responses and highlight how ethylene transduces the N signals to the adaptive responses. We specifically discuss the N-ethylene relations in rice, an important cereal crop in which ethylene is essential for its hypoxia survival.

Automated summary

The stress hormone ethylene plays a key role in plant adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. Changes in nitrogen availability or forms can affect ethylene biosynthesis and signaling. Ethylene serves as a cellular signal to mediate various physiological responses, including root system architecture adaptation, nitrogen uptake and translocation, ammonium toxicity, anthocyanin accumulation, and premature senescence. Specifically, in rice, ethylene is essential for its survival under hypoxic conditions.