Final answer:
Bcl-2 is the protein that prevents the activation of Bax and Bak on the surface of the mitochondria, which inhibits the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. This regulation is key to avoiding premature cell death and the spread of viral infections.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, proteins from the Bcl-2 family regulate the activation of Bax and Bak on the surface of the mitochondria. Among these proteins, Bcl-2 itself plays a key role in preventing the activation of Bax and Bak and thus inhibits the apoptosis process. This aspect of cellular regulation ensures that cells do not undergo programmed cell death prematurely and is particularly important for preventing the release of cytochrome C, which triggers the downstream cascade of apoptotic events.
Furthermore, this regulation is crucial in preventing the production of faulty proteins that could result from DNA damage. Moreover, by inhibiting the activation of Bax and Bak, apoptosis is stalled, which can be beneficial in preventing the spread of viral infection as no infectious virus would be released from cells where apoptosis was initiated early.