US Patent 7101993 Oligonucleotides containing 2′-O-modified purines

Compounds are provided containing purine nucleotides that bear moieties X at the 2′ position thereof wherein X is R1—(R2)n; R1 is C3-C20 alkyl, C4-C20 alkenyl or C2-C20 alkynyl; R2 is halogen, hydroxyl, thiol, keto, carboxyl, nitro, nitroso, nitrile, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, O-alkyl, S-alkyl, NH-alkyl, N-dialkyl, O-aryl, S-aryl, NH-aryl, O-aralkyl, S-aralkyl, NH-aralkyl, amino, N-phthalimido, imidazole, azido, hydrazino, hydroxylamino, isocyanato, sulfoxide, sulfone, sulfide, disulfide, silyl, aryl, heterocycle, carbocycle, intercalator, reporter molecule, conjugate, polyamine, polyamide, polyalkylene glycol, polyether, a group that enhances the pharmacodynamic properties of oligonucleotides, or a group that enhances the pharmacokinetic properties of oligonucleotides; and n is an integer from 0 to about 6. Such compounds are useful for modulating the synthesis of proteins.