Mutant Protease Sequence Tuning for High-Surfactant Detergents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing proteases struggle to maintain effective cleaning performance against protein stains in high-concentration detergent liquids, which are harsh conditions due to their high surfactant content.
Innovation Solution
A mutant protease with specific amino acid substitutions at positions 191, 17, 141, 243, 300, 302, and 311, or optionally 82, derived from a parent protease with a sequence similar to SEQ ID NO: 1, enhances cleaning performance in high-concentration detergent liquids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a protease is used in high-concentration detergent liquid, then the cleaning concentration is improved, but the cleaning performance against protein stains deteriorates due to harsh conditions from high surfactant content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing specific amino acid mutations (positions 191, 17, 141, 243, 300, 302, and 311) into the protease sequence to alter its structural and functional parameters. These mutations enable the protease to maintain optimal catalytic activity and stability in high-concentration detergent environments with high surfactant content, thereby resolving the contradiction between high detergent concentration and effective cleaning performance.
2Strength
If the detergent liquid has high surfactant content, then the cleaning strength is improved, but the protease activity is inhibited under these harsh conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high surfactant content into a beneficial selection pressure that favors proteases with enhanced stability. The harsh high-surfactant environment acts as a selective force that identifies and selects for protease variants with improved structural robustness and activity maintenance, transforming the previously inhibitory condition into a criterion for identifying superior protease candidates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces specific amino acid substitutions at positions 191, 17, 141, 243, 300, 302, and 311 to change the protease's structural parameters, enabling it to withstand high surfactant concentrations while maintaining catalytic activity. These parameter changes allow the protease to function reliably in high-cleaning-strength detergent formulations.
3Reliability
If a mutant protease is created with specific amino acid substitutions, then the cleaning performance in high-concentration detergent is improved, but the protein sequence complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing amino acid mutations only at specific positions (191, 17, 141, 243, 300, 302, and 311) within the protease sequence, rather than altering the entire protein structure. This localized approach modifies only the critical regions responsible for stability and activity in high-surfactant environments, thereby improving cleaning performance while minimizing unnecessary sequence complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mutant protease exhibits improved cleaning efficacy against protein stains in high-concentration detergent liquids, maintaining or exceeding the performance of the parent protease in normal detergent conditions, suitable for application and immersion cleaning methods.
Implementation Method 1
The purpose of blending a protease in detergents is to decompose protein stains derived from foods, scurf, sweat and the like attached on clothes, eating utensils and the like
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a mutant protease having improved cleaning performance against protein stains in a high-concentration detergent liquid. A mutant protease consisting of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or an amino acid sequence having an identity of at least 90% with SEQ ID NO: 1 and comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of the following amino acid residues (a) to (g): (a) Arg or Lys at a position corresponding to position 191 of SEQ ID NO: 1; (b) Arg or Lys at a position corresponding to position 17 of SEQ ID NO: 1; (c) Ala or Phe at a position corresponding to position 141 of SEQ ID NO: 1; (d) Arg or Lys at a position corresponding to position 243 of SEQ ID NO: 1; (e) Arg or Lys at a position corresponding to position 300 of SEQ ID NO: 1; (f) Arg or Lys at a position corresponding to position 302 of SEQ ID NO: 1; and (g) Arg or Lys at a position corresponding to position 311 of SEQ ID NO: 1.