Each aminoacyl tRNA synthetase is specific to one of the 20 amino acids and its corresponding tRNA. The enzyme first binds to its respective amino acid and ATP, forming an aminoacyl-AMP intermediate. Subsequently, the enzyme transfers the amino acid to the 3' end of the tRNA, releasing AMP and creating an aminoacyl-tRNA ready for incorporation into a growing polypeptide chain during translation. This process ensures that the ribosome can accurately read the mRNA codons and add the correct amino acids to the elongating protein.
