Cellulase Variants

Abstract

The present invention relates to cellulase variants, i.e., endo-beta-1,4-glucanase variants, derived from a parental cellulase, i.e., endo-beta-1,4-glucanase, by substitution, insertion and/or deletion, which variant has a catalytic core domain, in which the variant at position 5 holds an alanine residue (A), a serine residue (S), or a threonine residue (T); at position 8 holds a phenylalanine residue (F), or a tyrosine residue (Y); at position 9 holds a phenylalanine residue (F), a tryptophan residue (W), or a tyrosine residue (Y); at position 10 holds an aspartic acid residue (D); and at position 121 holds an aspartic acid residue (D).

1 - 88 . (canceled) 
     
     
         89 . A modified cellulase having endoglucanase activity, comprising a mutation in an amino acid sequence of a cellulase, wherein the mutation comprises a substitution at one or more positions selected from the group consisting of:
 21a, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 40, 42, 42a, 43, 49, 49a, 49b, 50, 53, 54, 57, 64, 68, 69, 70, 71, 76, 79, 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 88, 91, 92, 93, 95d, 95h, 95i, 95j, 106, 127, 132a, 137, 138, 139, 140, 140a, 141, 143a, 149, 150b, 150e, 150j, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 159, 160c, 160e, 160k, 161, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 188, 191, 192, 193, 195, 197, 200, and 201,   wherein each mutation is independently a substitution, insertion or deletion and each position is numbered according to the amino acid sequence of the cellulase of SEQ ID NO: 1.   
     
     
         90 . A detergent composition comprising a cellulase variant of  claim 89  and a surfactant.