What is the Difference Between Aminoacyl tRNA and Peptidyl tRNA?

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The main difference between aminoacyl tRNA and peptidyl tRNA lies in their role in protein synthesis and their binding sites on the ribosome. Here are the key differences:

  1. Binding site on the ribosome: Aminoacyl tRNA is bound to the A site of the ribosome, while peptidyl tRNA is bound to the P site of the ribosome during the translation process.
  2. Amino acid or peptide chain: Aminoacyl tRNA bears a single amino acid at the terminus, whereas peptidyl tRNA bears a peptide chain at the terminus.

Aminoacyl tRNA and peptidyl tRNA are both involved in the translation of messenger RNA (mRNA) into proteins. Aminoacyl tRNA is responsible for bringing the correct amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain, while peptidyl tRNA is an intermediate in the protein synthesis process, carrying the growing peptide chain as it is being synthesized.

Comparative Table: Aminoacyl tRNA vs Peptidyl tRNA

Aminoacyl tRNA and peptidyl tRNA are two types of tRNA molecules that participate in translation, playing vital roles in protein synthesis. Here is a table highlighting the differences between them:

Feature Aminoacyl tRNA Peptidyl tRNA
Description Aminoacyl tRNA is a tRNA molecule bound to an amino acid and is involved in the A site of the ribosome. Peptidyl tRNA is a tRNA molecule bound to a peptide chain and is involved in the P site of the ribosome.
Function Aminoacyl tRNA transfers the amino acid to the growing polypeptide chain, forming a peptide bond between the amino acid and the peptide chain. The formed peptide bond between the two amino acids remains attached to the peptidyl tRNA, which is located at the P site of the ribosome.
Binding Site Aminoacyl tRNA binds to the A site of the ribosome. Peptidyl tRNA binds to the P site of the ribosome.

Both aminoacyl tRNA and peptidyl tRNA are involved in the elongation step of the translation process, but they have distinct roles and binding sites on the ribosome.