Final answer:
cI protein represses the lytic cycle in bacteriophage lambda, favoring lysogeny and preventing host cell lysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cI protein causes repression of lambda lytic events in the bacteriophage lambda infection process. This protein plays a key role in the decision between the lytic and lysogenic pathways; when expressed, it inhibits the lytic cycle, which is the infection process that leads to the lysis of host cells. Instead of initiating the process that results in host cell destruction, cI protein maintains the phage genome in a dormant state within the host, known as lysogeny.
The cI protein causes the inhibition of lambda lytic events. In the context of bacteriophage lambda, the cI protein is a repressor protein that prevents the expression of lytic genes, thus promoting the lysogenic cycle. The lysogenic cycle is characterized by the integration of the phage DNA into the host cell's genome and the maintenance of a dormant state.