Truncated precursor tRNAs lacking the D arm or anticodon arm were studied in vitro as substrates for RNase P enzymes from Escherichia coli, Thermus thermophilus (eubacteria), and HeLa. Deletion of the D arm still allowed 5'-processing by E. coli RNase P, but strongly impaired maturation by T. thermophilus and HeLa extracts. In contrast, deletion of the anticodon arm had no influence on processing by RNase P activities from all three organisms. Inhibition kinetics and gel retardation studies showed that deletion of the D arm leads to low-affinity binding to E. coli RNase P RNA (M1 RNA). However, the E. coli enzyme appears to form sufficiently strong contacts in the region of the T arm, acceptor stem, and CCA terminus to still allow productive enzyme-substrate interaction even in the absence of the structural contribution provided by the D arm. Pb(2+)-induced hydrolysis of a tRNAGly from T. thermophilus gave identical cleavage patterns in the D arm and anticodon loop in the absence and presence of E. coli M1 RNA, whereas lead hydrolysis was strongly reduced at the CUCCAA 3'-terminus due to the presence of the enzyme.