Table 3.

Effect of increasing loop length on T_m

	In Sodiuma	In Potassiuma
From 6 to 9 nt	5.2 ± 1.9	6.5 ± 2.2
From 6 to12 nt	8.8 ± 3.1	11.0 ± 3.5
From 6 to 15 nt	11.6 ± 5.1	14.0 ± 3.2

^adestabilization, in °C as compared to the T_m of the quadruplex with a TTTTTT loop. Results averaged for five different families of sequences.