The affinities of the stem-loop constructs employed here.

aFAM/BHQ-1 modified molecular beacons are ∼8 kJ more stable than their unlabeled stem-loop counterparts due to interactions between the dye and the quencher [47]; their affinities for a 13-base sequence targeting the loop have been determined as reported elsewhere [33]. bKd of the unlabeled depletant constructs were calculated using their simulated switching equilibrium and the expected Kd of the open form of the molecular beacon [33].