What is a key distinction between the Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) and Homology-Directed Repair (HDR) pathways in the context of DNA repair following genome editing?

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Exploring the key ideas behind NHEJ and HDR helps separate the true distinctions from common myths.
Option 1: 'NHEJ is more precise than HDR in repairing DNA breaks' — This is misleading. In general, NHEJ is quicker but error-prone and often introduces small insertions or deletions, whereas HDR uses a homologous template to achieve precise sequence changes. The claim that NHEJ is more precise contradicts the standard view of these pathways.
Option 2: 'HDR allows for the insertion of specific sequences, while NHEJ typically results in small insertions or deletions' — This captures the essential difference. HDR leverages a template to guide repair, enabling targeted and specific sequence changes, while NHEJ tends to join ends with minimal or no template, leading to indels rather than defined edits. This option aligns with the canonical mechanistic distinction between the pathways.
Option 3: 'NHEJ only occurs in plant cells, while HDR is universal across all organisms' — This is inaccurate. Both NHEJ and HDR are DNA repair pathways utilized across a wide range of organisms, including bacteria, plants, animals, and yeast. It is incorrect to claim such a plant-specific limitation.
Option 4: 'NHEJ requires a template for repair, while HDR does not' — This statement is essentially the reverse of the reality. HDR requires a homologous template to copy from, whereas NHEJ operates without a template, directly ligating the broken ends. The description here ironically describes HDR as template-independent and NHEJ as template-dependent, which is incorrect.

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What is a key distinction between the Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) and Homology-Directed Repair (HDR) pathways in the context of DNA repair following genome editing?

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