COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS COMPRISING SERINE PROTEASE VARIANTS (AS AMENDED)

1 . An isolated subtilisin variant, wherein said subtilisin variant is a mature form having proteolytic activity and comprises an amino acid sequence comprising a combination of amino acid substitutions selected from: T022A-E271F, G020R-N043R, N062E-A158E, S103G-A158E, S128N-A158E, A016S-A158E, V104L-A158E, E089P-A158E, L111V-A158E, T022A-A158E, S101A-A158E, L148I-A158E, P129E-A158E, T022A-E089P, A016S-E089P, N062E-E089P, N062E-E271F, A158E-E271F, R186H-E271F, P129E-E271F, L111V-E271F, Y209E-E271F, A016S-E271F, S188D-E271F, G159E-E271F, V104L-E271F, S101A-E271F, E089P-E271F, S128N-E271F, S103G-E271F, L148I-E271F, H249R-E271F, N062E-G159E, A016S-G159E, S128N-G159E, L148I-G159E, L111V-G159E, E089P-G159E, T022A-G159E, P129E-G159E, S103G-G159E, V104L-G159E, A158E-G159E, S101A-G159E, A158E-H249R, L111V-H249R, P129E-H249R, N062E-H249R, A016S-H249R, R186H-H249R, L148I-H249R, G159E-H249R, S101A-H249R, S188D-H249R, V104L-H249R, Y209E-H249R, T022A-H249R, S128N-H249R, S103G-H249R, E089P-H249R, T022A-L111V, S101A-L111V, A016S-L111V, V104L-L111V, N062E-L111V, S103G-L111V, E089P-L111V, A016S-L148I, N062E-L148I, T022A-L148I, P129E-L148I, V104L-L148I, S103G-L148I, S128N-L148I, S101A-L148I, E089P-L148I, L111V-L148I, A016S-N062E, T022A-N062E, N062E-P129E, T022A-P129E, S128N-P129E, A016S-P129E, S101A-P129E, V104L-P129E, E089P-P129E, S103G-P129E, L111V-P129E, N062E-R186H, S128N-R186H, S101A-R186H, T022A-R186H, A016S-R186H, A158E-R186H, E089P-R186H, P129E-R186H, G159E-R186H, S103G-R186H, V104L-R186H, L111V-R186H, L148I-R186H, N062E-S101A, T022A-S101A, A016S-S101A, E089P-S101A, N062E-S103G, T022A-S103G, A016S-S103G, S101A-S103G, E089P-S103G, N062E-S128N, A016S-S128N, T022A-S128N, S101A-S128N, V104L-S128N, E089P-S128N, S103G-S128N, L111V-S128N, L111V-S188D, N062E-S188D, A016S-S188D, L148I-S188D, T022A-S188D, S128N-S188D, S101A-S188D, V104L-S188D, E089P-S188D, P129E-S188D, G159E-S188D, R186H-S188D, S103G-S188D, A158E-S188D, A016S-T022A, A016S-V104L, T022A-V104L, S101A-V104L, N062E-V104L, S103G-V104L, E089P-V104L, G159E-Y209E, L111V-Y209E, S101A-Y209E, A016S-Y209E, S128N-Y209E, L148I-Y209E, P129E-Y209E, N062E-Y209E, T022A-Y209E, S103G-Y209E, A158E-Y209E, S188D-Y209E, V104L-Y209E, E089P-Y209E, R186H-Y209E, N018R-W241R, G020R-W241R, S024R-W241R, S009A-W241R, G020R-W241R, V004R-W241R, N043R-W241R, S078R-W241R, T022R-W241R, G115R-W241R, A001R-W241R, S212F-W241R, L082R-W241R, N018R-V244R, S024R-V244R, S078R-V244R, G020R-V244R, S212F-V244R, S009A-V244R, L082R-V244R, A001R-V244R, N043R-V244R, T022R-V244R, V004R-V244R, G115R-V244R, W241R-V244R, S242R-V244R, A001R-V004R, S009A-T022R, N018R-T022R, G020R-T022R, V004R-T022R, A001R-T022R, S024R-S242R, N018R-S242R, V004R-S242R, G020R-S242R, S212F-S242R, L082R-S242R, S078R-S242R, A001R-S242R, S009A-S242R, T022R-S242R, G115R-S242R, N043R-S242R, W241R-S242R, N018R-S212F, T022R-S212F, V004R-S212F, S024R-S212F, A001R-S212F, G115R-S212F, G020R-S212F, S009A-S212F, N043R-S212F, S078R-S212F, L082R-S212F, S009A-S078R, G020R-S078R, S024R-S078R, T022R-S078R, N018R-S078R, V004R-S078R, A001R-S078R, N043R-S078R, T022R-S024R, G020R-S024R, N018R-S024R, A001R-S024R, V004R-S024R, S009A-S024R, V004R-S009A, A001R-S009A, S242R-N269R, S024R-N269R, G020R-N269R, T022R-N269R, H249R-N269R, S212F-N269R, N043R-N269R, V244R-N269R, A001R-N269R, N018R-N269R, S078R-N269R, S009A-N269R, G115R-N269R, W241R-N269R, V004R-N269R, L082R-N269R, N018R-N043R, G020R-N043R, V004R-N043R, T022R-N043R, S009A-N043R, A001R-N043R, S024R-N043R, S009A-N018R, V004R-N018R, A001R-N018R, S024R-L082R, S009A-L082R, N018R-L082R, A001R-L082R, S078R-L082R, G020R-L082R, T022R-L082R, V004R-L082R, N043R-L082R, N043R-H249R, G020R-H249R, V004R-H249R, N018R-H249R, S009A-H249R, S212F-H249R, T022R-H249R, S024R-H249R, G115R-H249R, A001R-H249R, L082R-H249R, S242R-H249R, W241R-H249R, V244R-H249R, S078R-H249R, N018R-G115R, G020R-G115R, T022R-G115R, S078R-G115R, S009A-G115R, V004R-G115R, A001R-G115R, L082R-G115R, N043R-G115R, S024R-G115R, S009A-G020R, N018R-G020R, V004R-G020R, A001R-G020R, S009A-E271L, G020R-E271L, S024R-E271L, V244R-E271L, W241R-E271L, N043R-E271L, T022R-E271L, H249R-E271L, S212F-E271L, G115R-E271L, S242R-E271L, S078R-E271L, V004R-E271L, N269R-E271L, A001R-E271L, N018R-E271L, and L082R-E271L, and wherein the total net charge of the variant is 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, −1, −2, −3, −4, or −5 relative to the total net charge of the Bacillus lentus subtilisin GG36 protease, and wherein the total net charge is obtained by one or more substitutions selected from: N43D, R45T, N62E, N76D, S101D, P129E, A158E, G159D, G159E, S166D, S188D, A230E, N18R, G20K, G20R, T22R, S24R, N43R, G118R, Q245R, H249R, N269R, E271F, and E271L, and wherein amino acid positions of the protease variant are numbered according to the numbering of corresponding amino acid positions in the amino acid sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subtilisin BPN′ shown in SEQ ID NO:1.

2 - 88 . (canceled)

89 . The protease variant of claim 1 , wherein said protease variant comprises an amino acid sequence which differs from the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, and wherein the total net charge of the protease variant is 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, −1, −2, −3, −4, or −5 relative to the total net charge of the Bacillus lentus subtilisin GG36 protease, wherein the parent protease is GG36, and wherein amino acid positions of the protease variant are numbered according to the numbering of corresponding amino acid positions in the amino acid sequence of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subtilisin BPN′ shown in SEQ ID NO:1 as determined by alignment of the protease variant amino acid sequence with the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subtilisin BPN′ amino acid sequence.

90 . The protease variant of claim 1 , wherein the protease variant has one or more of the following characteristics: a) a Test Method 2 performance index of at least 1.1, at least 1.2, at least 1.3, at least 1.4, at least 1.5, at least 1.6, at least 1.7, at least 1.8, at least 1.9, at least 2, from 1.1 to about 10, from 1.1 to about 8, or even from 1.1 to about 5; b) a Test Method 3 performance index of at least 1.1, at least 1.2, at least 1.3, at least 1.4, at least 1.5, at least 1.6, at least 1.7, at least 1.8, at least 1.9, at least 2, from 1.1 to about 10, from 1.1 to about 8, or even from 1.1 to about 5; c) a Test Method 4 performance index of at least 1.0, at least 1.1, at least 1.2, at least 1.3, at least 1.4, at least 1.5, at least 1.6, at least 1.7, at least 1.8, at least 1.9, at least 2, from 1.0 to about 10, from 1.0 to about 8, or even from 1.0 to about 5; and/or d) a Test Method 6 performance index of at least 1.0, at least 1.1, at least 1.2, at least 1.3, at least 1.4, at least 1.5, at least 1.6, at least 1.7, at least 1.8, at least 1.9, at least 2, from 1.0 to about 10, from 1.0 to about 8, or even from 1.0 to about 5.

91 . An isolated nucleic acid comprising a polynucleotide sequence that encodes the subtilisin variant provided in claim 1 .

92 . An expression vector comprising the nucleic acid of claim 91 .

93 . A host cell comprising the expression vector of claim 92 .

94 . A method for producing at least one subtilisin variant of a Bacillus subtilisin, comprising:

a) transforming a host cell with an expression vector comprising at least one nucleic acid encoding at least one subtilisin variant of claim 1 to produce a transformed host cell; and

b) cultivating the transformed host cell under conditions suitable for the production of at least one subtilisin variant, to produce at least one subtilisin variant.

95 - 98 . (canceled)

99 . A composition comprising at least one subtilisin variant of claim 1 , wherein said composition is not a fabric and home care product.

100 - 107 . (canceled)

108 . A method of cleaning, comprising contacting a surface or an item with a cleaning composition comprising at least one subtilisin variant of claim 1 .

109 - 116 . (canceled)

117 . The subtilisin variant of claim 1 , wherein the variant comprises a combination of amino acid substitutions selected from the group consisting of: T022A-N043R-S101G-S103A-V104I-G159D-S188D-L217E-A232V-Q245R-N248D-E271F, T022A-N043R-S103A-V104I-G118R-S128I-P129E-G159D-S188D-A232V-N248D-E271F, T022A-S101G-S103A-V104I-G159D-L217E-A232V-Q245R-N248D-E271F, T022A-S101G-S103A-V104I-G159D-S188D-A232V-Q245R-N248D-E271F, H017R-T022A-N076D-S101G-S103A-V104I-G159D-S188D-A232V-Q245R-N248D-E271F, and T22A-S101G-S103A-V104I-G159D-A232V-Q245R-N248D-E271F.