Figure 6.

Non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair. The schematic diagram summarizes the main components and the mechanisms of the non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair pathways. In NHEJ the break ends are directly ligated without the need for a homologous template, as it typically utilizes short homologous DNA sequences called microhomologies to guide repair. In HRR, nucleotide sequences are replaced with two matching molecules of double-stranded or single-stranded nucleic acids, as this pathway requires a homologous sequence to guide repair.