AprL-clade protease variants and uses thereof

1. A variant subtilisin enzyme or an active fragment thereof comprising one or more amino acid modification to a parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of G165A, G165E, G165Q, G165R, and G165S, wherein the amino acid positions of the subtilisin variant are numbered by correspondence with the amino acid sequence of Bacillus sp. AprL subtilisin set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, wherein said variant has an improved stability when compared to the parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme, and wherein said variant has at least 85% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2.

2. The variant of claim 1 , further comprising one or more amino acid modifications selected from the group consisting of A001C, A001D, A001E, A001Q, A001S, L010M, L010Q, S100G, S102K, S102R, Y103F, Y103M, S104D, G105M, G105R, S108F, S108H, S108K, S108R, E111Q, T114D, T115D, T115E, T115F, T115K, T115Q, N116E, K012C, K012F, K012H, K012M, K012N, K012Q, K012Y, V120S, M123C, M123I, L125I, G127A, G127D, G127I, G127M, G127S, G127T, G127V, A128E, A128H, A128K, A128P, A128R, A128S, A128T, S129H, S129Q, S129R, S129T, S129V, T132C, T132D, T132E, T132K, T132N, T132P, Q136A, Q136C, Q136K, Q136R, V138C, A143D, A143N, G145S, V147L, V148A, V148C, V148M, V148Q, K015A, K015C, K015E, K015I, K015M, K015S, K015T, K015V, S155D, S155F, S155K, S155N, S155R, S157D, S158D, S1581, S158K, S158R, N160C, N160D, N160I, N160M, N160R, T161C, T161D, T161E, T161K, T161Q, T161R, Q017H, A018D, A018E, S181Q, N182D, S183A, S183G, N184C, N184E, N184Q, A186C, S187D, S187E, S187P, Q019D, Q019E, A193D, A193R, A202D, A202E, A202K, A202Q, A202V, G203A, G203C, G203E, G203N, G203Q, Y205E, T210C, T210E, T210I, T210P, T210V, A214E, T215C, L216C, L216H, L216K, L216M, N217S, L234E, L234F, L234Q, L234S, S235D, S235E, P238T, N239A, N239D, N239H, N239M, N239S, N239T, A024E, A024Q, L240D, S241E, S241N, S241Q, S241V, A242G, A242N, S243E, S243Q, S243V, Q244C, Q244E, V245A, V245C, V245T, N247D, N247W, N025D, N025G, N025Q, S250G, S251E, S258C, S258D, S258E, S258H, S258P, S259E, S259P, S259Q, V026A, V026C, V026E, V026H, V026Q, V026R, F260W, K264A, K264C, K264D, K264H, K264M, K264Q, K264S, K264Y, 1267C, N268D, N268E, N268Q, V269C, K027C, K027D, K027E, K027M, K027P, A271E, Q274A, Q274C, Q274D, Q274E, Q274G, A029S, T003E, T003I, T003Q, T003V, V030C, I035A, I035S, I035T, I035V, S038T, N043A, N043C, N043F, N043H, N043Q, V044P, V045A, V045C, V045D, V045E, V045F, V045G, V045M, V045N, V045Q, V045R, V045S, V045T, G046D, A048N, A048W, F050H, V051I, A052F, A052G, A052K, A052N, A052P, A052R, A052V, G053N, G053R, A055C, A055D, A055E, A055G, A055H, A055N, A055S, A055V, N057C, N057E, N057G, N057V, T058C, T058I, T058K, T058W, A068C, A068N, A068S, V071A, L074G, D075E, N076K, T077C, T077D, T077H, T077M, T077N, T077P, T077Q, T077S, T078D, T0781, T078V, S086E, S086H, S086R, V087C, V087G, V087S, V087T, S088E, S088N, S088R, L089N, P009C, P009D, P009E, P009N, P009T, L095A, L095V, N096S, S098K, S098R, and G099Q.

3. The variant of claim 1 , further comprising one or more amino acid modification, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of

(i) A001C, A048R, A052F, G099S, G099T, G101A, G127F, G127I, G127M, G127Q, G127T, G127V, I121M, L010M, L095A, L095F, L095Q, L095S, L125I, L125V, M123C, M123I, N025F, N025S, N116C, N140R, N184C, P238C, P238D, P2381, P238M, P238N, Q136A, S098F, S098H, S102D, S158Q, S241R, T077C, T077F, T215C, V0261, V026Q, V045R, and V149C; or

(ii) A001C, A024E, A128D, G053C, G099T, G101A, G101N, G203C, L095Q, L095S, L125S, N061E, N116C, N184C, S098D, S102D, S102E, S104D, S129E, S155D, S158E, and V026T.

4. The variant of claim 3 , wherein said variant has improved heavy-duty liquid (HDL) cleaning at pH 6 and/or pH 8 when compared to the parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme.

5. The variant of claim 1 , further comprising one or more amino acid modification selected from the group consisting of

A029T, A048K, A048R, A052F, A052R, A068G, A113C, D119H, E111Q, G099A, G099S, G127A, G127T, K012G, K012H, K027C, K027E, K027M, L095F, L125I, L125V, L240Q, N025F, N025G, N025L, N043R, N116R, N140R, N160C, N184C, N239K, P238C, P2381, P238M, Q136F, Q136H, Q136K, Q136R, Q136W, S098F, S098H, S104A, S158Q, S241R, V045R, and Y103M.

6. The variant of claim 1 , further comprising one or more amino acid modification selected from the group consisting of

A001C, A001D, A024E, A024G, A048C, A048D, A048K, A048N, A052F, A052M, A052V, A052Y, A055C, A072G, A091G, A113C, A128P, A128Q, A133G, A133S, A133T, A143E, A143F, A143H, A143N, A143S, A143W, A193D, A202C, A202D, A202E, A202Q, A227S, D119F, D119S, D119Y, G053C, G053E, G053N, G053Q, G060L, G060Y, G099A, G099T, G101A, G117D, G117V, G127A, G127S, G127T, G130D, G130H, G203A, G203C, G203E, G203M, H237I, I035A, I035C, I035M, I035T, I121L, K012N, K015M, K027C, K027L, K027M, K027R, K264A, K264S, L010M, L095F, L125V, L234Q, L240N, L2491, M123C, M123I, M123L, N025F, N025G, N025L, N025S, N057C, N061A, N076G, N096D, N096G, N116A, N116C, N116L, N116Y, N140A, N160C, N182C, N182D, N184C, N211S, N247F, N247H, N247I, N247L, N247Q, N247S, N247V, N247W, N247Y, P009E, P009T, P238A, P238C, P238D, P238F, P2381, P238R, Q017H, Q136A, Q136C, Q136F, Q136H, Q136K, Q136L, R144F, R144L, R248K, S086R, S088N, S088Y, S097G, S097H, S097Y, S098H, S098L, S100L, S102D, S102E, S102G, S102K, S129E, S129H, S155A, S155D, S155E, S155H, S157D, S1581, S158Q, S181A, S181Q, S183G, S241R, S241T, S2431, S243N, S243T, S243V, S243Y, S251E, S258C, S258D, S258P, T058C, T058D, T058F, T058I, T077C, T077F, T077L, T077M, T078Q, T132A, T132Q, T132V, T132Y, T161Q, T210I, T215C, V026Q, V026R, V026T, V028A, V028C, V0451, V071A, V071L, V120A, V120C, V120I, V146A, V146H, V146K, V147L, V149C, Y056H, and, Y255C, wherein said variant has improved automatic dishwashing (ADW) cleaning when compared to the parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme.

7. The variant of claim 1 , wherein said parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16.

8. The variant of claim 1 , wherein said parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme or said variant comprises:

(i) a YNT (SEQ ID NO:46) motif between Asp32 and His63;

(ii) a Y56N57T58 (SEQ ID NO:45) motif;

(iii) an F50V51X 1 52G53E54X 3 55Y56N57T58 (SEQ ID NO:48) motif, wherein X 1 is an A or S and X 3 is an A or S;

(iv) an LSX 4 S (SEQ ID NO:55) motif between Lys236 and Arg246, wherein X 4 is A or G;

(v) an L240S241A242S243 (SEQ ID NO:50) motif;

(vi) an L240S241G242S243 (SEQ ID NO:56) motif;

(vii) a KXXXLSX 4 SQX 5 R (SEQ ID NO:57) motif, wherein X is any amino acid, X 4 is A or G, and X 5 is an I or V;

(viii) a K236XXXLSASQX 5 R246 (SEQ ID NO: 52) motif, wherein X is any amino acid and X 5 is an I or V;

(ix) a K236XXXLSGSQX 5 R246 (SEQ ID NO:60) motif, wherein X is any amino acid and X 5 is an I or V; or

(x) a motif 1 selected from (i), (ii), and (iii) in combination with a motif 2 selected from (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii), and (ix);

(xi) a loop region between residues 52-60; or,

(xii) an Arg248 residue.

9. The variant of claim 1 , wherein said parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme or said variant comprises (i) an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 45, 46, 47, or 48; and (ii) an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 49, 50, 51, 52, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, or 60.

10. The variant of claim 1 , wherein said parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme or said variant comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 49 or 58 between Lys236 and Arg246, and an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 46 between Asp32 and His63.

11. The variant of claim 1 , wherein said parent AprL-clade subtilisin enzyme or said variant comprises an Asn96 residue.

12. A composition comprising at least one variant of claim 1 wherein said composition is a cleaning composition or detergent composition, selected from the group consisting of a laundry detergent, a fabric softening detergent, a dishwashing detergent, and a hard-surface cleaning detergent, and wherein said composition further comprises a surfactant; at least one stabilizer; at least one bleaching agent; at least one adjunct ingredient; one or more additional enzymes or enzyme derivatives selected from the group consisting of acyl transferases, alpha-amylases, beta-amylases, alpha-galactosidases, arabinosidases, aryl esterases, beta-galactosidases, carrageenases, catalases, cellobiohydrolases, cellulases, chondroitinases, cutinases, endo-beta-1, 4-glucanases, endo-beta-mannanases, esterases, exo-mannanases, galactanases, glucoamylases, hemicellulases, hyaluronidases, keratinases, laccases, lactases, ligninases, lipases, lipoxygenases, mannanases, oxidases, pectate lyases, pectin acetyl esterases, pectinases, pentosanases, peroxidases, phenoloxidases, phosphatases, phospholipases, phytases, polygalacturonases, proteases, pullulanases, reductases, rhamnogalacturonases, beta-glucanases, tannases, transglutaminases, xylan acetyl-esterases, xylanases, xyloglucanases, and xylosidases, additional metallopotease enzymes and combinations thereof.

13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein said cleaning composition is:

(i) phosphate-free or contains phosphate;

(ii) boron-free or contains borate; or,

(iii) is a granular, powder, solid, bar, liquid, tablet, gel, unit dose or paste composition.

14. A textile processing, animal feed, leather processing, feather processing, grain processing, cellulosic ethanol processing, lens cleaning, tissue debridement, or tissue cell culture additive composition comprising the variant of claim 1 .

15. A polynucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the variant of claim 1 , wherein said polynucleotide is isolated.