In bacteriophage lambda, the choice between the lytic and lysogenic pathways is often thought of as a sort of race between the production of cro protein and production of cI protein. What pathway would likely predominate in a mutant in which cro was overexpressed relative to in a wild-type virus? In a mutant in which cro was underexpressed relative to a wild-type virus?

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In bacteriophage lambda, the Cro protein promotes the lytic cycle, while the cI protein promotes the lysogenic cycle. Overexpression of cro would lead to a predominance of the lytic pathway, while underexpression of cro would favor the lysogenic pathway.

In Bacteriophage Lambda, the Choice Between the Lytic and Lysogenic