【Objective】Paddy fields are significant anthropogenic sources of methane emissions, and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an important pathway for mitigating methane emissions from paddy fields. The application of nitrogen fertilizers in paddy fields makes nitrite a primary electron acceptor for AOM. However, existing studies have focused on nitrite-dependent AOM in bulk soils of paddy fields, leaving the activity and functional microbial community characteristics of nitrite-dependent AOM in rhizosphere soils poorly understood. 【Method】Through indoor slurry incubation experiments combined with 13CH4 stable isotope tracing, quantitative PCR, and high-throughput sequencing, this study systematically investigated the nitrite-dependent AOM activity, NC10 bacterial gene abundance, and community structure in rhizosphere soils and bulk soils at different depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) under different fertilization treatments (CF: chemical fertilizer; OF: organic fertilizer combined with chemical fertilizer; SF: straw return combined with chemical fertilizer). 【Result】The results showed that the nitrite-dependent AOM activity in rhizosphere soils ranged from 1.03 to 2.42 nmol·g-1·d-1, which was significantly higher than that in 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm bulk soils, respectively. The pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and nitrite contents were identified as the main environmental factors influencing nitrite-dependent AOM activity. The NC10 bacterial gene abundance in 0-10 cm bulk soils ranged from 7.44×106 to 2.39×107 copies·g-1, which was significantly higher than that in rhizosphere soils, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm bulk soils, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that SOC was the primary factor affecting NC10 bacterial abundance. Additionally, high-throughput sequencing revealed significant differences in NC10 bacterial community structure between rhizosphere and bulk soils. PCoA analysis indicated that soil water content, pH, and nitrate content were the main environmental factors influencing NC10 bacterial community structure.【Conclusion】These findings demonstrate significant differences in nitrite-dependent AOM activity, NC10 bacterial abundance and community structure between rhizosphere and bulk soils under different fertilization treatments. The findings demonstrate that the rhizosphere serves as an active hotspot for nitrite-driven AOM, providing a deeper understanding of the AOM process and offering theoretical basis for mitigating methane emission from paddy fields.