Final answer:
If a tRNA is charged with the wrong amino acid, it leads to the incorporation of that incorrect amino acid into the protein being synthesized, potentially causing defective proteins to be produced. The correct answer is (c) It leads to incorrect protein synthesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a tRNA is charged with the wrong amino acid (aa), it can lead to the incorporation of the incorrect amino acid into the growing polypeptide chain during protein synthesis. This process is part of translation where ribosomes synthesize proteins using the information encoded in mRNA. Each tRNA molecule has an anticodon that is complementary to a codon on the mRNA, and it is supposed to be charged with the corresponding amino acid.
However, if a mismatch occurs and the tRNA is charged with the wrong amino acid due to a mistake by the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, the anticodon will still recognize and bind to the correct codon, but the wrong amino acid will be added to the polypeptide chain. This can result in the production of a defective protein, which can have various consequences ranging from minimal to severe, depending on the role of the protein in cellular function.
Therefore, the correct option in the final answer is (c) It leads to incorrect protein synthesis. Mutations in tRNA or charging tRNA with incorrect amino acids can significantly affect the function and structure of the final protein product. In cases where such errors are detrimental to cellular function, surveillance mechanisms within the cell may target the faulty protein for degradation.
Chloramphenicol, as an example, affects protein synthesis by inhibiting peptidyl transferase, which is crucial for the formation of peptide bonds during translation.