The present disclosure provides engineered bacteria for producing vanillin.

Methods of treating somatosensory disorders and modulating production of proinflammatory cytokines by administering to a subject an effective amount of a COMT modulator, ADRB2 modulator, ADRB3 modulator or combinations thereof are provided. Methods of predicting effective pharmacological therapies for a subject afflicted with a somatosensory disorder by determining a genotype of the subject with regard to a gene selected from the group consisting of COMT, ADRB2, ADRB3, and combinations thereof are further provided. Methods of determining pain responses or pain perception and predicting susceptibility of a subject to develop related disorders, such as somatosensory disorders and somatization, by determining a genotype of the subject with regard to a gene selected from the group consisting of COMT, ADRB2, ADRB3, and combinations thereof are further provided.

Recombinant microorganisms, plants, and plant cells are disclosed that have been engineered to express a mutant AROM polypeptide and/or mutant catechol-O-methyltransferase polypeptide alone or in combination with one or more vanillin biosynthetic enzymes or UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Such microorganisms, plants, or plant cells can produce vanillin or vanillin beta-D-glucoside.

Recombinant microorganisms, plants, and plant cells are disclosed that have been engineered to express a mutant AROM polypeptide and/or mutant catechol-O-methyltransferase polypeptide alone or in combination with one or more vanillin biosynthetic enzymes or UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Such microorganisms, plants, or plant cells can produce vanillin or vanillin beta-D-glucoside.

Recombinant microorganisms, plants, and plant cells are disclosed that have been engineered to express a mutant AROM polypeptide and/or mutant catechol-O-methyltransferase polypeptide alone or in combination with one or more vanillin biosynthetic enzymes or UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Such microorganisms, plants, or plant cells can produce vanillin or vanillin beta-D-glucoside.

Recombinant microorganisms, plants, and plant cells are disclosed that have been engineered to express a mutant AROM polypeptide and/or mutant catechol-O-methyltransferase polypeptide alone or in combination with one or more vanillin biosynthetic enzymes or UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Such microorganisms, plants, or plant cells can produce vanillin or vanillin beta-D-glucoside.

Methods of treating somatosensory disorders and modulating production of proinflammatory cytokines by administering to a subject an effective amount of a COMT modulator, ADRB2 modulator, ADRB3 modulator or combinations thereof are provided. Methods of predicting effective pharmacological therapies for a subject afflicted with a somatosensory disorder by determining a genotype of the subject with regard to a gene selected from the group consisting of COMT, ADRB2, ADRB3, and combinations thereof are further provided. Methods of determining pain responses or pain perception and predicting susceptibility of a subject to develop related disorders, such as somatosensory disorders and somatization, by determining a genotype of the subject with regard to a gene selected from the group consisting of COMT, ADRB2, ADRB3, and combinations thereof are further provided.