Perhydrolase epitopes

Abstract

The present invention provides perhydrolase enzyme CD4+ T-cell epitopes, as well as novel variants that exhibit reduced immunogenic responses, as compared to the parental perhydrolase. The present invention further provides DNA molecules that encode novel perhydrolase variants, and host cells comprising DNA encoding novel perhydrolase variants, as well as methods for making perhydrolase enzymes less immunogenic. In addition, the present invention provides various compositions that comprise perhydrolase variants that are less immunogenic than the wild-type perhydrolase. In some specific embodiments, the present invention provides perhydrolase variants with reduced immunogenicity identified and/or characterized using the methods of the present invention. These enzymes find use in cleaning and other applications. In some preferred embodiments, the present invention finds particular use in applications involving cleaning, bleaching and disinfecting.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for altering the immunogenicity of a perhydrolase variant having at least 80% identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 comprising modifying at least one an amino acid residue in at least an epitope equivalent to the epitopes represented by the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 51, SEQ ID NO: 53 and SEQ ID NO: 71. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the perhydrolase variant has an amino acid sequence that is at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the perhydrolase variant has an amino acid sequence that is at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO: 2. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein an immunogenic response produced by said perhydrolase variant is less than an immunogenic response produced by the parent perhydrolase. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said epitope is an epitope equivalent to the epitope represented by SEQ ID NO: 53 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said epitope of said perhydrolase variant is modified by substituting the amino acid sequence of said epitope with an analogous sequence from a homolog of said perhydrolase, wherein said substitution substantially mimics the major tertiary structure attributes of said epitope. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said perhydrolase variant is modified by altering the epitope sequence. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein said epitope of said perhydrolase variant is modified by deleting at least one amino acid residue in said epitope.