β-Tyrosine and its biosynthetic enzyme TAM1 are predominantly distributed in the ancestral subpopulation of japonica rice in Oryza rufipogon.

Intraspecific variation in specialized metabolites plays a crucial role in the adaptive response to diverse environments. Two major subspecies, japonica and indica, are observed in Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.).

A nonproteinogenic amino acid, β-tyrosine, accumulates in young rice leaves via long-distance phloem transport from mature leaves.

Oryza sativa L. ssp. japonica cv.