Abstract: Linked nucleosides having at least one functionalized nucleoside that bears a substituent such as a steroid molecule, a reporter molecule, a non-aromatic lipophilic molecule, a reporter enzyme, a peptide, a protein, a water soluble vitamin, a lipid soluble vitamin, an RNA cleaving complex, a metal chelator, a porphyrin, an alkylator, a pyrene, a hybrid photonuclease/intercalator, or an aryl azide photo-crosslinking agent exhibit increased cellular uptake and other properties. The substituent can be attached at the 2?-position of the functionalized nucleoside via a linking group. If at least a portion of the remaining liked nucleosides are 2?-deoxy-2?-fluoro, 2?-O-methoxy, 2?-O-ethoxy, 2?-O-propoxy, 2?-O-aminoalkoxy or 2?-O-allyloxy nucleosides, the substituent can be attached via a linking group at any of the 3? or the 5? positions of the nucleoside or on the heterocyclic base of the nucleoside or on the inter-nucleotide linkage linking the nucleoside to an adjacent nucleoside.

Abstract: Linked nucleosides having at least one functionalized nucleoside that bears a substituent such as a steroid molecule, a reporter molecule, a non-aromatic lipophilic molecule, a reporter enzyme, a peptide, a protein, a water soluble vitamin, a lipid soluble vitamin, an RNA cleaving complex, a metal chelator, a porphyrin, an alkylator, a pyrene, a hybrid photonuclease/intercalator, or an aryl azide photo-crosslinking agent exhibit increased cellular uptake and other properties. The substituent can be attached at the 2?-position of the functionalized nucleoside via a linking group. If at least a portion of the remaining liked nucleosides are 2?-deoxy-2?-fluoro, 2?-O-methoxy, 2?-O-ethoxy, 2?-O-propoxy, 2?-O-aminoalkoxy or 2?-O-allyloxy nucleosides, the substituent can be attached via a linking group at any of the 3? or the 5? positions of the nucleoside or on the heterocyclic base of the nucleoside or on the inter-nucleotide linkage linking the nucleoside to an adjacent nucleoside.