Alkaline proteases

An alkaline protease having comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% homology to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1, wherein one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of

• (a) K84 is replaced with R;
• (b) L104 is replaced with P;
• (c) M256 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of A, S, Q, V, L, N, E, and D;
• and
• (d) D369 is replaced with N,
• wherein said alkaline protease has oxidant resistance is active at an alkaline pH, and retains at least 80% residual activity when treated at pH 10 for 10 minutes.

An alkaline protease comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% homology to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1, wherein one or more amino acid residues selected from the group consisting of

• (a) N66 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Q, D, S, E, A, T, L, M, C, V, G, and I;
• (b) N264 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Q, D, S, E, A, T, L, M, C, V, G, and I;
• (c) G57 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, O, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (d) G101 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, O, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (e) G102 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, Q, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (f) G103 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, Q, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (g) L104 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, Q, F, V, R, Y, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (h) G105 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, O, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (i) G106 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, Q, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (i) G136 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, Q, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (k) G193 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, Q, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A;
• (l) G342 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, S, O, F, V, R, Y, L, I, T, M, C, W, D, E, H, P, and A,
• (m) F46 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Y, W, A, N, E, T, V, L, I, H, S, K, O, M, and C;
• (n) F205 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of Y, W, A, N, B, T, V, L, I, H, S, K, Q, M, and C;
• (o) Y54 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of W, F, A, N, E, T, V, H, S, K, Q, M, G, D, P, R, and C:
• (p) Y119 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of W, F, A, N, E, T, V, H, S, K, O, M, G, D, P, R, and C;
• (q) Y138 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of W, F, A, N, E, T, V, H, S, K, Q, M, G, D, P, R, and C;
• (r) Y148 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of W, F, A, N, E, T,V, H, S, K, Q, M, G, D, P, R, and C;
• (s) Y195 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of W, F, A, N, E, T, V, H, S, K, O, M, G, D, P, R, and C;
• (t) K247 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of W, F, A, N, E, T, V, L, I, H, S, O, M, and C;
• (u) R124 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of A and
• (v) L107 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of K, R, A, and S;
• and
• (w) A257 is replaced with an amino acid selected from the group consisting of V and I,
• wherein said alkaline protease has oxidant resistance, is active at an alkaline pH, and retains at least 80% residual activity when treated at pH 10 for 10 minutes.