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Proteins
Spike Glycoprotein
The Spike-glyco Protein, also known as S-protein or just S, is SARS-CoV-2's most important protein. It is mostly pointy and sharp (hence the name Spike protein), and a virion uses this protein when he binds to and infects a cell. The protein is devided into two parts, S1 and S2. S2 forms the teeth and claws, while S1 forms the tongue.
The claws look like dog claws, but can have various natural lengths. All virions have claws, but some virions have claws so short that they're almost not visible or completely hidden in the fur on the toes. Virions that appear to be clawless have paws that are referred to as 'cotton paws' due to the soft and harmless look of the paws. Most virions have claws about the same length as dog claws, and some may have 'bear claws', which are really long and sharp. Like dog claws, the claws of virions will wear out over time, but less than dog claws because the ground virions walk on is rather soft, compared to sidewalks. For this reason, the claws don't make the same characteristic tappy noises when a virion walks, unless he's walking on a hardened surface (e.g. bones, teeth).
Claws are black or at least dark colored on most black/dark colored virions, but there are virions with lighter colored claws too. Lighter or white colored virions usually have lighter colored claws, but there may be virions with black colored claws. Albino virions always have lighter colored claws due to their lack of pigmentation.
S1 looks just like a dog's tongue when in rest, when the virion is panting or when he's licking. It looks more stake-shaped when a virion tenses the muscles. The stake tongue will be used in battles with cells and thus causing damage. It is used during infection when also the receptor binding domain and RNA pores are activated. When infecting, the stake tongue won't be damaging to the cell at all. The tongue is blueish-purple in color, sometimes with darker colored spots on it. Albino's have a pink colored tongue.
The receptor binding domain (RBD) is a thorn-shaped protrusion on the tongue, which is retracted and thus not visible when the virion isn't infecting a cell. The RBD works like a barb and keeps the tongue in place during infection. Only this part of the tongue could do damage to the host-cell's membrane, in case an another cell would try to remove the virion. Opened RNA pores look like black dots on each side of the stake tongue and they secrete a bit of the virion's blood (RNA) into a pit in the host-cell's membrane. This isn't harmless to the virion. Like the RBD, the pores aren't visible when the virion isn't infecting.
Membrane Protein
The Membrane protein, also known as Matrix protein, M-protein or just M, are small protrusions found on the outer surface of a virion in real life. In this fictional version however, it appears to be a virion's fur, and due to mutations, M-protein may come in many different forms and lengths. M-protein in SARS-CoV-2 is similar to dog fur regarding structure and touch from the perspective of other residents of the microscopic world.
However, most human non-immune cells believe that viruses (SARS-CoV-2 included) must feel painfully rough and ice cold to the touch, despite their fur or feathers appearing rather soft and warm. This probably comes from the fact that most viruses display some spike-like protrusions and that they are known to be cold-blooded (can't regulate their own body temperature by themselves). Most furred or feathered viruses feel soft and warm, because of the structure of their proteins and the fact that their bodies adapt to be the same as their host's body temperature.
A virion's coat is there to keep him warm with warmer air trapped underbeneath it, during times when the host's body temperature drops a bit. Or keep him cool with trapped colder air, during times when the temperature rises a bit. It doesn't isolate from too cold (when outside host), or too hot (when host developes a fever) temperatures. However, a virion survives too cold temperatures by going into a state of torpor (programmed coma), while too hot temperatures may kill him. Especially virions with a relatively thick coat are sensitive to too hot temperatures.
It also is water resistent and prevents the skin from getting wet. The hairs themselves do in fact get wet when the virion is swimming, but because it is covered in an oily substance, it dries relatively quick. When out of the water, hairs stick together to form 'spikes', which helps water leaving the virion's coat much easier, which is why the coat dries so fast. Unlike dog coats though, the coats of SARS-CoV-2 virions are denser and lay more flat against the body, which is why it protects the skin from getting wet.
The Membrane proteins of young pups aren't as well developed, and thus they can get cold or wet more easily. Pups may even go in a state of torpor or become temporarily paralyzed due to mild hypothermia, if not protected well enough during their host's slight temperature drops.
Types Of Membrane Proteins
Membrane proteins come in various types and/or structures;
- Short - The smallest type of Membrane proteins. Comes in two sub-varieties; normal and smooth (or satin). The normal short coat is very similar to the fur of dogs like the dobermann or (short coat jack russel), whereas the smooth variety seems more sleek. The smooth variety has thinner hairs and displays a more glossy, satin-like gloss to it (hence why it is also known as 'satin'). Both variety isolate poorly against colder temperatures, but more so in the smooth variety, and virions with this type of coat may try to stay warm by curling up to their thick-coated pack-mates when the host's body temperature is lower.
- Long - The longest type of Membrane Protein. Comes in two sub-varieties; normal and silky. The normal long coat appears straight, while the silky variety is more wavey and glossy, and softer to the touch. This coat isolates quite well against colder temperatures, but less against warmer temperatures. Like the smooth coat though, the silky coat has somewhat poorer isolation against cold temperatures, due to the hairs being thinner.
- Double - Wooly undercoat with longer, tougher hairs (guard hairs) laying flat over it. Comes in four varieties; short, natural, half-long and long. The short coat is similar to the coat of a labrador retriever, while the natural is more similar to that of a German shepherd or wolf. Half-long and long looks similar to long-hair German shepherds. Virions with this type of coat are notorious shedders, especially when they live during certain periods of the year, they shed A LOT of their underwool. Best isolation against both colder and warmer temperatures!
- Wired - Also known as 'rough' due to the rougher structure. Comes in two varieties; normal and long. The coat looks spiky, and slightly longer in the long variety. Hairs are usually longer on snout and chin, as well as above the eyes. So, it appears as if these virions have a thick mustache, beard and eyebrows. This coat doesn't isolate well against both colder and warmer temperatures, though it's better at it than the smooth coat. It may not be good at protecting the virion's skin from getting wet when its structure is too spiky.
- Curled - Very similar to wired, but curled. Can ve seen as just a curly variety of the wired even. The curled coat also has a mustache, beard and eyebrows, but somewhat shorter. Has better isolation to both colder and warmer temperatures than the wired, and protects the skin from getting wet due to the hairs laying closer to it.
Colors And Markings
Most virions are born melanistic, which means that they're entirely black. But, the ones who aren't melanistic may come in various colors. Colors are the same as seen in dogs, including the same morphs and/or markings. Some colors and/or markings may be fictional and thus applying only to this version of SARS-CoV-2, as they aren't found in dogs. Below are pictures of coat colors and markings.
*The alsatian agouti sub-morph is known as sable in the German shepherd dog. The 'panda' actually exists in the German shepherd dog too. These dogs just have a lot of white in their fur, and I think it looks awesome, so I included it in SARS-CoV-2's shepherd dog-like membrane coloration too.
Envelope Protein
The Envelope Protein, also known as Small Envelope Protein, E-protein or just E, are the three tails. E is long in most virions, but some virions may have shorter tails. In rare cases, a virion may have bobtails. Virions with long tails also often have prehensile tails to, and can grab or hold on to others or objects with their tails. They may use their tails as a safety rope when walking on branch-like parts in their host's body, and they can even hang from their tails.
E is an organ for balance, as seen in many animals with tails, but it can be used for various other reasons too, such as a rope around a cell during infection, as stirs while swimming and of course as a tool in body language. E has the same meanings as in dog body language.
E appears segmented in virions who have shorter or less dense fur on their tails. Virions with bushy E don't have visible segmenting (it is there though, but just not visible under all the fur). When E is of medium length, it may appear more similar to a dog's tail and also come in the same shapes.
Nucleocapsid
Ever seen green colored 'intestines' coming out of a virion in Virus Attack? That's the Nucleocapsid, also known as N-protein or just N. The nucleocapsid isn't actually the virus's intestines, given it lacks a metabolism and thus not needing gastrointestinal organs. But yeah... I kinda made it look that way. Anyway, N is a protective protein, as it encapsulates the concentrated form of the virus's RNA. When infecting a cell, bits of the RNA is lost, but with the help of RNA replicase (blood), N reconstructs it when the virion is resting. When a virion infects multiple cells in a row, but doesn't take time to rest, he'll die due to the loss of too much RNA. For this reason, virions usually don't infect too many cells, and the king will bring along almost his entire pack when he wants many cells to be infected. This way, virions who have infected two or three cells will have time to reconstruct their RNA, while infection of as many cells as possible will still be ongoing by (re)charged pack-mates.
Other Proteins
Next to the four main proteins, a lot of other types of proteins make up a virion's body too.
NSP's
NSP3 - Papain-like protease. This protein forms the muscles. Muscle mass differs per virions, as one seems bulkier than the other. The king virion has the strongest muscles and seems the most massive when standing next to his lower placed pack-mates.
NSP5 - Main protease (or Mpro). This protein forms the heart. It is literally the shape of a cartoon heart and located in the chest cavity of a virion. The heart is relatively large, which is an addaption to being semi-aquatic and needing to being able to hold the breath for a long time when hiding under water. A virion instantly dies once his heart stops beating.
FUN FACT: In the real SARS-CoV-2, this protein is also heart-shaped.
NSP9 - RNA replicase. This forms the green colored blood. It is used by the Nucleocapsid to reconstruct the RNA.
NSP7, NSP8 and NSP12 - NSP12 is also known as RdRP. These form the bones. Like in most animals, the skeleton (along with NSP3) forms the bodily features of a virion. The bones also protect the vital organs and Nucleocapsid of a virion.
NSP10 and NSP16 - NSP16 is also known as 2'-0-methyltransferase. These form the brains. The brain of SARS-CoV-2's mutant variants is somewhat larger than that of the original form. Especially for their telepathic ability, mutants use more of their brainpower than the original.
NSP13 - Helicase. This forms cartilage. Some parts of the skeleton and body are made of this protein.
NSP14 ExoN. This forms the nervous system of a virion. This protein also has a proofreading ability during the embryonal stage of a virion. If everything goes right, ExoN should correct all defective mutations by deleting them from the virion's genetic makeup. Bad stuff added to the genes while within a host cell, such as anti-virals, will be be removed from the genes in the pups of targeted virions. This will cause the virus to build immunity to anti-virals and that's why it's so hard to make a good working and long lasting ant-viral drug against SARS-CoV-2.
NSP15 NendoU. This forms the lungs. SARS-CoV-2 has a relatively large lung capacity, and the lungs aid a virion in manipulating his buoyancy while in water.
ORF7a
his protein forms the whiskers. Whiskers are thick hairs on the snout, chin, underside of the lower jaw, cheeks and above the eyes. Whiskers are very sensitive and are used for picking up vibrations in very deep (thus too dark) water. This way, a virion can 'see' who or what else is in the water and what the distance between the virion and the other virion or object is.
RNA
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) contains SARS-CoV-2's genes. It is the only actual part which is infectious to cells and can be copied by them, which is why a virion uses it when he infects a cell. RNA looks similar to DNA, but because SARS-CoV-2 has a single stranded form of it, it doesn't look like the fusilli pasta structure we see in our own DNA.
Glycans
Simple sugar molecules, or saccharides, functions as the virus's saliva. Glycans mimic those of healthy cells, and when a virion applies a glycan coating to his body, his scent disappears and he'll become invisible to cells. The same effect occurs when a virion applies it to an infected cell. Glycans don't work on healthy cells, but SARS-CoV-2 and infected cells become invisible because of the 'pattern' in molecules recognized as a healthy cell, not matching with those of the virion or a sick/infected cell underbeneath the coating.