Compositions and methods for enhanced protein production in bacillus cells

A method for increasing ilvE messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in a modified Bacillus subtilis cell comprising:

• (a) obtaining a parental B. subtilis cell comprising a wild-type (WT) ilvE gene and replacing the WT ilvE gene with a synthetic ilvE gene comprising a heterologous gene promoter operably linked to a mutant ilvE 5′-UTR sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:
• 18 operably linked to a WT ilvE gene CDS, and
• (b) fermenting the parental and modified cells for at least about sixteen (16) hours under the same conditions,
• wherein the modified cell comprises increased levels of ilvE mRNA as compared to the parental cell.

A method increasing carbon yield of heterologous proteins produced in a modified Bacillus subtilis cell comprising:

• (a) obtaining or constructing a parental B. subtilis cell producing a heterologous protein of interest (POI) and introducing into the cell a synthetic ilvE gene comprising a heterologous gene promoter operably linked to a mutant ilvE 5′-UTR sequence comprising SEQ ID NO:
• 18 operably linked to a WT ilvE gene CDS, and
• (b) fermenting the parental and modified cells for at least about sixteen (16) hours under suitable the same conditions for the production of the POI,
• wherein the modified cell comprises an increased carbon yield efficiency of the POI produced as compared to the parental cell.