Disclosed is a nuclease resistant nucleotide compound capable of hybridizing with a complementary RNA in a manner which inhibits the function thereof, which modified nucleotide compound includes at least one component selected from the group consisting of MN.sub.3M, B(N).sub.xM and M(N).sub.xB wherein N is a phosphodiester-linked modified 2'-deoxynucleoside moiety; M is a moiety that confers endonuclease resistance on said component and that contains at least one modified or unmodified nucleic acid base; B is a moiety that confers exonuclease resistance to the terminus to which it is attached; and x is an integer of at least 2.