The contribution of 700,000 ORF sequence tags to the definition of the human transcriptome

open reading frame expressed sequences tags (ORESTES) differ from conventional ESTs by providing sequence data from the central protein coding portion of transcripts. We generated a total of 696,745 ORESTES sequences from 24 human tissues and used a subset of the data that correspond to a set of 15,095 full-length mRNAs as a means of assessing the efficiency of the strategy and its potential contribution to the definition of the human transcriptome. We estimate that ORESTES sampled over 80% of all highly and moderately expressed, and between 40% and 50% of rarely expressed, human genes. In our most thoroughly sequenced tissue, the breast, the 130,000 ORESTES generated are derived from transcripts from an estimated 70% of all genes expressed in that tissue, with an equally efficient representation of both highly and poorly expressed genes. In this respect, we find that the capacity of the ORESTES strategy both for gene discovery and shotgun transcript sequence generation significantly exceeds that of conventional ESTs. The distribution of ORESTES is such that many human transcripts are now represented by a scaffold of partial sequences distributed along the length of each gene product. The experimental joining of the scaffold components, by reverse transcription-PCR, represents a direct route to transcript finishing that may represent a useful alternative to full-length cDNA cloning.

A influência do esqueleto açúcar-fostato no transporte da molécula de DNA

This dissertation analyses the influence of sugar-phosphate structure in the electronic transport in the double stretch DNA molecule, with the sequence of the base pairs modeled by two types of quasi-periodic sequences: Rudin-Shapiro and Fibonacci. For the sequences, the density of state was calculated and it was compared with the density of state of a piece of human DNA Ch22. After, the electronic transmittance was investigated. In both situations, the Hamiltonians are different. On the analysis of density of state, it was employed the Dyson equation. On the transmittance, the time independent Schrödinger equation was used. In both cases, the tight-binding model was applied. The density of states obtained through Rudin-Shapiro sequence reveal to be similar to the density of state for the Ch22. And for transmittance only until the fifth generation of the Fibonacci sequence was acquired. We have considered long range correlations in both transport mechanism

Processos difusivos generalizados

We investigate several diffusion equations which extend the usual one by considering the presence of nonlinear terms or a memory effect on the diffusive term. We also considered a spatial time dependent diffusion coefficient. For these equations we have obtained a new classes of solutions and studied the connection of them with the anomalous diffusion process. We start by considering a nonlinear diffusion equation with a spatial time dependent diffusion coefficient. The solutions obtained for this case generalize the usual one and can be expressed in terms of the q-exponential and q-logarithm functions present in the generalized thermostatistics context (Tsallis formalism). After, a nonlinear external force is considered. For this case the solutions can be also expressed in terms of the q-exponential and q-logarithm functions. However, by a suitable choice of the nonlinear external force, we may have an exponential behavior, suggesting a connection with standard thermostatistics. This fact reveals that these solutions may present an anomalous relaxation process and then, reach an equilibrium state of the kind Boltzmann- Gibbs. Next, we investigate a nonmarkovian linear diffusion equation that presents a kernel leading to the anomalous diffusive process. Particularly, our first choice leads to both a the usual behavior and anomalous behavior obtained through a fractionalderivative equation. The results obtained, within this context, correspond to a change in the waiting-time distribution for jumps in the formalism of random walks. These modifications had direct influence in the solutions, that turned out to be expressed in terms of the Mittag-Leffler or H of Fox functions. In this way, the second moment associated to these distributions led to an anomalous spread of the distribution, in contrast to the usual situation where one finds a linear increase with time

Exercícios respiratórios para asma: revisão sistemática com metanálise

Introdução: A asma se tornou um problema de saúde pública devido aos seus grandes custos em cuidados de saúde. Os exercícios respiratórios constituem uma intervenção não farmacológica de baixo custo e baixo risco que vem sendo utilizada por fisioterapeutas em diferentes países no tratamento de pacientes asmáticos. Objetivo: Avaliar a eficácia dos exercícios respiratórios no tratamento de pacientes adultos com asma nos seguintes desfechos: qualidade de vida, sintomas da asma, número de exacerbações agudas, episódios de hospitalização, mensurações fisiológicas (função pulmonar e capacidade funcional), número de consultas médicas, número de faltas no trabalho devido a exacerbações da doença, avaliação subjetiva do paciente em relação à intervenção. Método: Revisão sistemática de estudos controlados randomizados com metanálise realizada em parceria com a Colaboração Cochrane. As seguintes bases de dados foram consultadas: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, e PsycINFO, além de busca manual em revistas da área e em resumos de congressos. Os seguintes termos foram utilizados: (breath*) and (exercise* or retrain* or train* or re-educat* or educat* or physiotherap* or "physical therap*" or "respiratory therapy" or buteyko ). As listas de referências dos estudos selecionados e registros de ensaios clínicos também foram consultados. A seleção dos estudos e a avaliação do risco de viés dos estudos incluídos foram realizadas de maneira independente por dois revisores. O software Review Manager foi utilizado para análise dos dados, no qual o modelo de efeito fixo foi utilizado. As variáveis contínuas foram expressas como diferença de média ponderada com um intervalo de confiança de 95%. A heterogeneidade dos resultados dos estudos incluídos foi realizada por meio da análise dos Forest plots. O teste qui-quadrado (Chi2) com um P valor de 0.10 foi utilizado para indicar significância estatística. O Índice de heterogeneidade (I2) foi implementado com um valor acima de 50% como um nível substancial de heterogeneidade. Resultados: 13 estudos envolvendo 906 pacientes estão atualmente incluídos na revisão. Os seguintes desfechos foram mensurados pelos estudos incluídos: qualidade de vida, sintomas da asma, número de exacerbações agudas e função pulmonar. Os estudos relataram uma melhora na qualidade de vida, sintomas da asma e número de exacerbações agudas. Seis dos onze estudos que avaliaram função pulmonar mostraram uma diferença significativa favorável aos exercícios respiratórios. Não houve relato de efeitos adversos. Devido à heterogeneidade substancial encontrada entre os estudos, metanálise foi possível apenas para sintomas da asma, a qual incluiu dois estudos e mostrou uma diferença significativa favorável aos exercícios respiratórios. A avaliação do risco de viés foi prejudicada devido ao relato incompleto de aspectos metodológicos pela maioria dos estudos incluídos. Conclusão: Embora os resultados encontrados pelos estudos incluídos demonstraram individualmente que os exercícios respiratórios podem ser importantes no tratamento da asma, não há evidência conclusiva nesta revisão para suportar ou refutar a eficácia desta intervenção no tratamento de pacientes asmáticos. Este fato foi devido às diferenças metodológicas entre os estudos incluídos e à ausência de relato de aspectos metodológicos por parte da maioria dos estudos incluídos. Não há dados disponíveis em relação aos efeitos dos exercícios respiratórios nos seguintes desfechos: episódios de hospitalização, número de consultas médicas, número de faltas no trabalho devido a exacerbações da doença, e avaliação subjetiva do paciente em relação à intervenção

Estrutura genética de Chromis multilineata (Guichenot, 1853) (Perciformes Pomacentridae) na costa NE do Brasil e ilhas oceânicas: evidências de um passado evolutivo instável.

The fauna of Brazilian reef fishes comprises approximately 320 species distributed along the coast of the mainland and islands ocean. Little is known about the levels of connectivity between their populations, but has been given the interest in the relations between the offshore and the islands of the Brazil, in a biogeographical perspective. The oceanic islands Brazilian hosting a considerable number of endemic species, which are locally abundant, and divide a substantial portion of its reef fish fauna with the Western Atlantic. Among the richest families of reef fish in species are Pomacentridae. This study analyzed through analysis of sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop), the standards-breeding population of C. Multilineata in different areas of the NE coast of Brazil, involving both oceanic islands (Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and of St. Peter and St. Paul) and continental shelf (RN and BA). To this aim, partial sequences were used in the region HVR1 of mtDNA (312pb). The population structure and parameters for the estimates of genetic variability, molecular variance (AMOVA), estimation of the index for fixing (FST) and number of migrants were determined. The phylogenetic relationships between the populations were estimated using neighbor-joining (NJ) method. A group of Bayesian analysis was used to verify population structure, according to haplotype frequency of each individual. The genetic variability of populations was extremely high. The populations sampled show moderate genetic structure, with a higher degree of genetic divergence being observed for the sample of the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul. At smaller geographical scale, the sample of Rio Grande do Norte and the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha do not have genetic differentiation. Three moderately differentiated population groups were identified: a population group (I), formed by the Rio Grande do Norte (I') and the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (I''), and two other different groups formed by the island population of the archipelago of Saint Peter and St. Paul (II) and Bahia (III). The genetic patterns found suggest that the species has suffered a relatively recent radiation favoring the absence of shared haplotypes. C. multilineata seems to constitute a relatively homogenous population along the West Atlantic coast, with evidence of a moderate population genetic structure in relation to the Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul. These data supports the importance of the dispersal larvae by marine current and the interpopulation similarity this species.

Evolução do reparo por excisão de nucleotídeo

The phylogeny is one of the main activities of the modern taxonomists and a way to reconstruct the history of the life through comparative analysis of these sequences stored in their genomes aimed find any justification for the origin or evolution of them. Among the sequences with a high level of conservation are the genes of repair because it is important for the conservation and maintenance of genetic stability. Hence, variations in repair genes, as the genes of the nucleotide excision repair (NER), may indicate a possible gene transfer between species. This study aimed to examine the evolutionary history of the components of the NER. For this, sequences of UVRA, UVRB, UVRC and XPB were obtained from GenBank by Blast-p, considering 10-15 as cutoff to create a database. Phylogenetic studies were done using algorithms in PAUP programs, BAYES and PHYLIP package. Phylogenetic trees were build with protein sequences and with sequences of 16S ribosomal RNA for comparative analysis by the methods of parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian. The XPB tree shows that archaeal´s XPB helicases are similar to eukaryotic helicases. According to this data, we infer that the eukaryote nucleotide excision repair system had appeared in Archaea. At UVRA, UVRB and UVRC trees was found a monophyletic group formed by three species of epsilonproteobacterias class, three species of mollicutes class and archaeabacterias of Methanobacteria and Methanococci classes. This information is supported by a tree obtained with the proteins, UVRA, UVRB and UVRC concatenated. Thus, although there are arguments in the literature defending the horizontal transfer of the system uvrABC of bacteria to archaeabacterias, the analysis made in this study suggests that occurred a vertical transfer, from archaeabacteria, of both the NER genes: uvrABC and XPs. According the parsimony, this is the best way because of the occurrence of monophyletic groups, the time of divergence of classes and number of archaeabacterias species with uvrABC system

Prospecção de genes de interesse biotecnológico : uma abordagem metagenômica

The total number of prokaryotic cells on Earth has been estimated at 4 to 6x1030 and only about 1% of microorganisms present in the environment can be cultivated by standard techniques of cultivation and plating. Therefore, it is a huge biological and genetic pool that can be exploited, for the identification and characterization of genes with biotechnological potential. Within this perspective, the metagenomics approach was applied in this work. Functional screening methods were performed aiming to identify new genes related to DNA repair and / or oxidative stress resistance, hydrocarbon degradation and hydrolytic activities (lipase, amylase and protease). Metagenomic libraries were built utilizing DNA extracted from soil samples collected in João Câmara RN. The libraries were analyzed functionally using specific substrate containing solid medium (hydrolytic activity), supplemented with H2O2 (DNA repair and / or resistance to oxidative stress) and liquid medium supplemented with light Arabian oil (activity, degradation of hydrocarbons). After confirmation of activity and exclusion of false-positive results, 49 clones were obtained, being 2 positive for amylase activity, 22 resistant to oxidative stress generated by H2O2 and 25 clones active for hydrocarbons degradation. Analysis of the sequences showed hypothetical proteins, dienelactona hydrolase, DNA polymerase, acetyltransferase, phosphotransferase, methyltransferase, endonucleases, among other proteins. The sequence data obtained matched with the functions tested, highlighting the success of metagenomics approaches combined with functional screening methods, leading to very promising results

Prospecção e caracterização de genes associados ao processo de indução floral em cana-de-açúcar

The northeastern region is responsible to 14.32% of sugarcane national production. This lowered contribution is due to edaphoclimatic condition. Flowering is a vital process to plant which consumes lots of energy and it culminates in a process called isoporization. This one can give in a decreasing of 60% on alcohol and water production. It may consider that cropped sugarcane has a hibrid with octaploid genome, there are varieties with a flowering standard until of non flowering. Using this natural genetic potential on different croppings of sugarcane, the aim of this work was to understand as this process occurs by the usage of subtractive approaches. The total RNA was extracted using Trizol of peaks of merisematics of croppings with induced flowering and other with late flowering. From this total RNA were built four subtractives libraries (B1- induced early flowering subtracted on late flowering not induced; B2- late flowering not induced subtracted induced early flowering; B3- induced early flowering subtracted of not induced early flowering; B02- not induced early flowering subtracted from induced early flowering) using kits Super Smart cDNA synthesis and BD Clontech kit select cDNA subtraction (Clontech). This material was clone don vector pGEM T-easy(Promega) and changed in competent cells of E.coli DH10B. Given analysis sequence was carried out a program BLASTn against database of NCBI and genome of Arabidopsis thaliana, rice and maize. Clones were grouped in 9 different classes according to function. Some factors already related as couples of flower induction were identified at different libraries. And grouped proteins with cell cycle and it controls were presents, mainly kinases proteins. Related factors to proteic sinthesis, metabolism, defence, cell communication were also given in both libraries .Some identified genes did not show similarity on database or homology with hypothesis function, and it can represents new genes to be deposited in international database. These results offers that some identified on sugarcane, classified as on factors classes, cell cycle and cell communication, trough unknown genes, can be linked with genetic changing to the flowering process found in the northeastern region

Caracterização dos genes scMUTM1 e scMUTM2 de cana-de-açúcar

Plants are organisms sessile and because of this they are susceptible to genotoxic effects due to environmental exposure such as light [including ultraviolet (UV)], heat, drought and chemicals agents. Therefore, there are differents pathways in order to detect a lesion and correct. These pathways are not well known in plants. The MutM/Fpg protein is a DNA glycosylase that is responsible for detect and correct oxidative lesions. In the sugarcane genome, it was found two possible cDNAs that had homology to this protein: scMUTM1 and scMUTM2. The aim of this work was to characterize the role of these cDNAs in plants. In order to do this, the expression level after oxidative stress was evaluated by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Another point analyzed in order to obtain the full-length gene, it was to use a sugarcane genomic library that was hybridized with both cDNAs as a probe. It was found two clones that will bought and sequenced. The promoter region was also cloned. It was obtained sequences only for scMUTM2 promoter region. The sequences obtained were divided into six groups. It was found regulatory motifs such as TATA-box, CAAT-box, oxidative stress element response and regulatory regions that response to light. The other point analyzed was to characterize the N-terminal region by PCR constructs. These constructs have deletions at 5 region. These sequences were introduce into Escherichia coli wild type strain (CC104) and double mutant (CC104mutMmutY). The results showed that proteins with deletions of scMUTM1 N-terminal region were able to complement the Fpg and MutY-glycosylase deficiency in CC104 mutMmutY reducing the spontaneous mutation frequency

Uso de técnicas de Geoprocessamento e Sensoriamento Remoto no levantamento e integração de dados necessários a gestão ambiental dos campos de extração de óleo e gás do Canto do Amaro e Alto da Pedra no município de Mossoró - RN

The objective of this work is to identify, to chart and to explain the evolution of the soil occupation and the envirionment vulnerability of the areas of Canto do Amaro and Alto da Pedra, in the city of Mossoró-RN, having as base analyzes it multiweather of images of orbital remote sensors, the accomplishment of extensive integrated works of field to a Geographic Information System (GIS). With the use of inserted techniques of it analyzes space inserted in a (GIS), and related with the interpretation and analyzes of products that comes from the Remote Sensoriamento (RS.), make possible resulted significant to reach the objectives of this works. Having as support for the management of the information, the data set gotten of the most varied sources and stored in digital environment, it comes to constitute the geographic data base of this research. The previous knowledge of the spectral behavior of the natural or artificial targets, and the use of algorithms of Processing of Digital images (DIP), it facilitates the interpretation task sufficiently and searchs of new information on the spectral level. Use as background these data, was generated a varied thematic cartography was: Maps of Geology, Geomorfológicals Units soils, Vegetation and Use and Occupation of the soil. The crossing in environment SIG, of the above-mentioned maps, generated the maps of Natural and Vulnerability envirionmental of the petroliferous fields of I Canto do Amaro and Alto da Pedra-RN, working in an ambient centered in the management of waters and solid residuos, as well as the analysis of the spatial data, making possible then a more complex analysis of the studied area

Efeitos da eliminação de neurônios infragranulares sobre a especificação de neurônios supragranulares do córtex cerebral

The cerebral cortex of mammals is histologically organized into different layers of excitatory neurons that have distinct patterns of connections with cortical or subcortical targets. During development, these cortical layers are established through an intricate combination of neuronal specification and migration in a radial pattern known as "insideout": deep-layer neurons are generated prior to upper-layer neurons. In the last few decades, several genes encoding transcription factors involved in the sequential specification of neurons destined to different cortical layers have been identified. However, the influence of early-generated neurons in the specification of subsequent neuronal cohorts remains unclear. To investigate this possible influence, we induced the selective death of cortical neurons from layer V and VI before the generation of layer II, III and IV neurons. Thus, we can evaluate the effects of ablation of early born neurons on the phenotype of late born neurons. Our data shows that one-day after ablation, layer VI neurons expressing the transcription factor TBR1 are newly generated while virtually no neuron expressing TBR1 was generated in the same age in control animals. This suggests that progenitors involved in the generation of neurons destined for superficial layers suffer interference from the selective death of neurons in deep layers, changing their specification. We also observed that while TBR1-positive neurons are located exclusively in deep cortical layers of control animals, many TBR1-positive neurons are misplaced in superficial layers of ablated animals, suggesting that the migration of cortical neurons could be controlled independently of neuronal phenotypes. Furthermore, we observed an increase in layer V neurons expressing CTIP2 and neurons expressing SATB2 and that these cells have changed their distributions. As a conclusion, our data indicate the existence of a mechanism of control exercised by the early-generated neurons in the cerebral cortex on the fate of the progenitors involved in the generation of the following cortical neurons. This mechanism could help to control the number of neurons in different layers and contribute to the establishment of different cortical areas

Imunoexpressão da IL-17 e RORγt em carcinomas de células escamosas de lábio e língua

Th17 cells have been strongly associated to the pathogenesis of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, although their influence on the carcinogenesis is still little known, there are reports of anti-tumor and protumoral actions. The objective of this study is to research the presence of Th17 lineage in lip and tongue SCC, using the analysis of the immunoexpression of IL-17 and RORγt, relating this immunoexpression with clinical and morphological findings in the attempt to better comprehend the role of these cells on the tumoral immunity of OSCCs. The results were submitted to non-parametric statistical tests with significance level of 5%. On the histomorphological analysis, it was observed the predominance of low level lesions on lip and high level lesions on tongue (p=0,024). It was not observed statistical significance between clinical stage and histological gradation of malignancy (p=0,644). For the immunohistochemical study, 5 random fields with greater immunoreactivity of the peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate were photomicrographed on the 400x magnification. It was done the count of lymphocytes which showed cytoplasmic and pericytoplasmic staining for the IL-17 cytokine as well as nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for RORγt. It was observed statistical significance difference on the quantity of immunopositive lymphocytes to IL-17 between the groups of SCC of lip and tongue (p=0,028). For the RORγt it was not observed statistical significance difference between the groups of SCC of lip and tongue (p=0,915). It was not observed statistical difference between the immunostaining of IL-17 and RORγt with histological gradation of malignancy and clinical staging. The findings of this research suggest a possible anti-tumor role of IL-17 for cases of lip. The results of the analysis of the RORγt are possibly due to the wide duality of the anti-tumor and protumoral role of the Th17 cells and their plasticity which, in the presence of different cytokines expressed on the tumor microenvironment, can alter its phenotype.

Expressão imuno-histoquimica da cicloxigenase-2 e p53 em cancinoma epidermóide oral

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignant neoplasm in the oral cavity, accounting for more than 90% of all malignancies in this location. Cyclooxygenases (COX s) are key enzymes on arachidonic acid metabolism and prostaglandin synthesis, being expressed basically in two forms: the constitutive (COX-1) and the inducible (COX-2). Increased levels on the expression of COX-2 have been implicated in the pathogenesis tumor progression of various forms of human cancer, including oral squamous cell carcinoma, some of what suggesting a possible interaction between COX-2 and the protein expressed by the tumor suppressor gene p53, mutated in more than 50% of all human cancers. The mean of the present research consisted in analyze the correlation between the expression of COX-2 and p53, at the protein level, as well as evaluate the difference on the expression of these two proteins with the histological grading of malignancy. 34 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were selected and graded according to the histological grading system proposed by Bryne (1998) and the labeling indexes (LI s) for COX-2 and p53 evaluated using immunohistochemistry method. The results revealed that COX-2 was expressed in increased levels in most of the specimens, although there was no statistic significant correlation between LI s from COX-2 and p53 (p>0.05), and there were no statistical differences on the expression of these proteins between tumors of high and low grade of malignancy (p>0.05). Interestingly, the expression of COX-2 and p53 was detected in fragments of dysplastic oral epithelium adjacent to tumor areas, on basal and suprabasal layers. The absence of statistical correlation between the expression of COX-2 and p53 proteins do not rule ot the existence of a relation between them, were it may reflect the diversity of regulatory pathways between both, different direct and indirect inhibitory effects of COX-2 over p53, as well as the wide range of activation macheenisms for COX-2 and mutational status of the p53 gene Another conclusion point that the increased expression of COX-2 observed in oral squamous cell carcinomas suggest a role for this protein in the processes of pathogenesis and tumoral evolution of this malignant neoplasm

Centros subcorticais dos sistemas visual primário e óptico acessório no mocó (kerodon rupestris): caracterização pela projeção retiniana e citoarquitetura.

The primary and accessory optic systems comprise two set of retinorecipient neural clusters. In this study, these visual related centers in the rock cavy were evaluated by using the retinal innervations pattern and Nissl staining cytoarchigtecture. After unilateral intraocular injection of cholera toxin B subunit and immunohistochemical reaction of coronal and sagittal sections from the diencephalon and midbrain region of rock cavy. Three subcortical centres of primary visual system were identified, superior colliculus, lateral geniculate complex and pretectal complex. The lateral geniculate complex is formed by a series of nuclei receiving direct visual information from the retina, dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, intergeniculate leaflet and ventral lateral geniculate nucleus. The pretectal complex is formed by series of pretectal nuclei, medial pretectal nucleus, olivary pretectal nucleus, posterior pretectal nucleus, nucleus of the optic tract and anterior pretectal nucleus. In the accessory optic system, retinal terminals were observed in the dorsal terminal, lateral terminal and medial terminal nuclei as well as in the interstitial nucleus of the superior fasciculus, posterior fibres. All retinorecipient nuclei received bilateral input, with a contralateral predominance. This is the first study of this nature in the rock cavy and the results are compared with the data obtained for other species. The investigation represents a contribution to the knowledge regarding the organization of visual optic systems in relation to the biology of species.

Preferências e escolhas românticas entre universitários

Several studies have found different patterns of preferences to men and women for short term and long term relationship romantic partners. It is known that the preferences vary with the sex of individuals, the expected involvement level of the relationship and according to the perceptions that subjects have about themselves. In the present study, we investigate whether the preferences typically founded for sexes are also founded between Brazilian undergraduate students. We also investigated if the individuals choose partners in accord of the sex preferences and if the ideal preferences are really expressed in real choices. For these investigations, 370 undergraduate students described profiles of an ideal partner for a short-term and a long-term relationship, through the joint evaluation of nine characteristics. Each ideal s profile has been described over three simulations, in which the amount of points available to be invested were limited and gradually reduced. After the descriptions of these profiles, the participants described the current or previous partner (if they were not in a relationship) and performed a self-assessment with the same characteristics used in the description of preferences. Overall, the results obtained in several countries were observed in Brazil. For short-term relationships men prioritize physical attributes and women value physical and personal attributes. For long-term, personal traits gained in importance on masculine preferences and women emphasized personal traits and the partner disposition to acquire resources. We also identified similar preferences profiles for both sexes and that the romantic preferences reflect similarities with the own individual s characteristics, in addition to the typical sexual preferences expected for the Parental Investment Theory. When evaluated their real partners, men considerate them more physically attractive than themselves but less intelligent, good humorous and ambi tion/willing to work. Women, in turn, described their partners as good as them. Finally, we observed equivalence between characteristics of the subjects and those of its partners, this effect being more pronounced among men. The last partners were described only as less sincere. The interpretation of the most part of our results was possible from evolutionist s and socio-cultural s explanations and was discussed under the two perspectives. We conclude this study stressing that the traditional romantic preferences occur in Brazil and that the sex, the kind of relationship and the vision that people have about their own characteristics affect the preferences, which are expressed in the real partner choices