452 research outputs found
Expression und Funktion von Histondeacetylasen in chronischer Lebererkrankung
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. The prevalence of hepatic cirrhosis and HCC, is increasing since more than twenty years. No satisfying therapeutic options are available until today. Epigenetic alterations have been shown to induce detrimental effects in different cancer types. Among these, histone acetyltransferases (HAT) and histone deacetylases (HDAC) play pivotal roles. An imbalance in acetylation status has been shown in different cancer types and seems to be specific and individual for each disease origin. Only few data on HDACs in chronic liver disease (CLD) are available.
The aim of the thesis was to systematically analyze the expression and role of HDACs in CLD with focus on the role of HDAC7.
In the first part of the thesis, the expression of the classical Zn2+-dependent HDACs, which are grouped in class I (HDAC1/2/3/8), class IIa (HDAC4/5/7/9), class IIb (HDAC6/10) and class IV (HDAC11) were analyzed in the context of liver fibrosis. It was shown that all HDACs were significantly increased in four different murine fibrosis models. Furthermore, in vitro activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), which takes place during hepatic fibrosis, led to a significant increase of HDAC3/8 (class I), HDAC4/5/7/9 (class IIa), HDAC6 (class IIb) and HDAC11 (class IV). Moreover, HDAC inhibition (HDACi) with two pan-HDACi, suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) and Trichostatin A (TSA), time- and dose-dependently reduced HSC viability. Subtoxic HDACi doses decreased proliferation of HSC.
In the second part of the thesis, systematic analyses of the expression and role of HDACs in HCC were conducted. HDACs were significantly increased in HCC cell lines compared to primary hepatocytes derived from mice and human donors. Furthermore, correlation of HDAC expression was analyzed in 11 human tumor samples. HDAC2/8, HDAC4/5/7/9 and HDAC10 expression correlated with each other, indicating that there are high and low-âHDAC expressersâ. Furthermore, HDAC dysregulation was found in advanced disease stage but not in precancerous stage in murine HCC samples. Survival analysis demonstrated that high expression of HDAC1/2 (class I) and HDAC7/9 (class IIa) correlated with poor survival in large patient datasets. HDACi (SAHA and TSA) induced time- and dose-dependent toxicity in HCC cells. Subtoxic HDACi doses reduced migratory potential, proliferation and colony formation of HCC cells. Further, SAHA led to the induction of cellular senescence, whereas TSA did not.
Finally, the effect of HDACi and sorafenib combination on HCC cells was analyzed. Sorafenib is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor and currently the only well-established chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of advanced HCC. Combination treatment with SAHA and sorafenib induced additional cellular apoptosis in HCC cells. This effect was also observed in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells. Thus, HDACi in combination with sorafenib are able to enhance the effect of sorafenib and potentially help to overcome therapy resistance. As potential underlying molecule for this effect, Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) was identified. CYP2E1 and neutrophil cytosolic factor 1-like (P47PHOX) were synergistically increased after combination treatment in HCC cells. P47PHOX is a marker of oxidative stress, indicating that combination treatment induced additional cellular oxidative stress.
Our previous results pointed out that HDAC isoforms are differentially expressed in CLD. In a previous study we showed an implication of HDAC7 in the regulation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling in hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, further efforts were made for the characterization of HDAC7 in CLD.
In the third part of the thesis, the expression and function of HDAC7 in hepatic fibrosis were analyzed. HDAC7 mRNA was induced in 4 different murine fibrosis models and correlated with collagen 1 expression, the major extracellular matrix protein during hepatic fibrosis. HDAC7 depletion led to increased phosphorylation of p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p-p38). Activation of other measured mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) was not affected. No effect on pro-inflammatory nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) signaling was detected and HDAC7 depletion in HSC did not alter HSC proliferation.
In the fourth part of the thesis, the expression and function of HDAC7 in HCC was analyzed. Hypoxia, a hallmark of HCC in tumor tissue, induced HDAC7 mRNA expression. This could not be reversed by depletion of hypoxia inducible factor 1 α (Hif-1α), a key mediator of hypoxia downstream signaling, indicating that HDAC7 is regulated independently of Hif-1α. Moreover, HDAC7 depletion led to increased phosphorylation of p38, whereas the other MAPKs were not altered. Additionally, a decrease of phosphorylated NF-kB was observed in HCC cells following HDAC7 depletion. No significant effect of HDAC7 siRNA-mediated depletion in HCC cells on proliferation, migration or apoptosis were observed. Analysis of autophagy markers indicated an altered autophagic flux following HDAC7 depletion, but further experiments are necessary to clarify the underlying mechanism.
The fifth part of the thesis focused on the generation of HSC-specific HDAC7 knockout mice with the CreLoxP system. The mice were genotyped and the expression of HDAC7 and Cre was validated on mRNA and protein level. The HSC-specific HDAC7 knockout mouse was successfully generated, as no HDAC7 expression in HSC was detectable. The mice did not show any phenotype and primary HSC shared the same morphology as wildtype cells. Preliminary data of the HSC-specific HDAC7 knockout mice in two fibrosis models, namely thioacetamide (TAA) model and bile duct ligation (BDL) model, displayed controversial results and need to be further validated. TAA-induced hepatic fibrosis was improved in HSC-specific HDAC7 mouse, whereas BDL HSC-specific HDAC7 knockout mice did not show significant differences compared to BDL wildtype mice.
The sixth part of the thesis aimed to generate hepatocyte-specific HDAC7 knockout mice. Until today the hepatocyte-specific deletion of HDAC7 could not yet be achieved. The mice were genotyped as hepatocyte-specific HDAC7 knockout, but still expressed HDAC7 on mRNA and protein level in hepatocytes. It was shown that the Cre recombinase expression, which is essential for the excision of the HDAC7 gene is not detectable in all hepatocytes. This created a so called âmosaicismâ, a partial deletion of HDAC7 in hepatocytes. Thereby no complete HDAC7 deletion can be achieved. The use of another hepatocyte-specific Cre recombinase mouse could help to overcome this problem.
Within this thesis project, it was shown that HDACs are implicated in hepatic fibrosis and HCC. The individual HDAC isoforms have distinct roles and are regulated in a distinct manner upon various stimuli. The use of HDACi could be beneficial as therapeutic approach also in combination with sorafenib, the best established first line treatment for advanced HCC. The presented data on HDAC7 in hepatic fibrosis and HCC and further analysis will form the basis for a deeper understanding of its role and function and its potential as therapeutic target.Das hepatozellulĂ€re Karzinom (HCC) ist weltweit fĂŒr ein Viertel der krebsbedingten TodesfĂ€lle verantwortlich. Seit mehr als 20 Jahren steigt die PrĂ€valenz der hepatischen Fibrose und des HCC stetig an. Bis zum heutigen Tag sind keine ausreichenden Therapiemöglichkeiten verfĂŒgbar. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass epigenetische VerĂ€nderungen zu nachteiligen Effekten in verschiedenen Krebsarten fĂŒhren, wobei Histonacetyltransferasen (HAT) und Histondeacetylasen (HDAC) eine entscheidende Rolle spielen. Ein Ungleichgewicht des Acetylierungsstatus wurde in verschiedenen KrebsentitĂ€ten beobachtet und scheint spezifisch und individuell fĂŒr jeden Krankheitstyp zu sein. Derzeit sind nur wenige Daten zu HDACs in chronischen Lebererkrankungen (CLD) verfĂŒgbar.
Das Ziel der Promotion war, die Expression und Rolle von HDACs in CLD mit dem Focus auf HDAC7 systematisch zu analysieren.
Im ersten Teil der Promotion wurde die Expression der Zn2+-abhĂ€ngigen HDACs, welche in Klasse I (HDAC1/2/3/8), Klasse IIa (HDAC4/5/7/9), Klasse IIb (HDAC6/10) und Klasse IV (HDAC11) gegliedert sind, im Kontext der Leberfibrose analysiert. Es wurde gezeigt, dass alle HDACs in verschiedenen murinen Leberfibrosemodellen signifikant hochreguliert sind. Des Weiteren fĂŒhrte die in vitro Aktivierung von hepatischen Sternzellen (HSC), welche wĂ€hrend der Fibrogenese stattfindet, zu signifikant erhöhten HDAC3/8 (Klasse I), HDAC4/5/7/9 (Klasse IIa), HDAC6 (Klasse IIb) und HDAC11 (Klasse IV) Expressionsleveln. Zudem konnte durch Behandlung mit zwei HDAC Inhibitoren (HDACi) (suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) und Trichostatin A (TSA)) eine zeit- und dosisabhĂ€ngige Reduktion der ZellviabilitĂ€t gezeigt werden. Subtoxische Dosen von HDACi fĂŒhrten zur Reduktion der Proliferation von HSC.
Im zweiten Teil der Promotion wurde eine systematische Analyse der Expression und Rolle von HDACs im HCC durchgefĂŒhrt. In allen HDAC Isoformen wurden signifikant erhöhte Expressionswerte in murinen und humanen HCC Zelllinien im Vergleich zu primĂ€ren Hepatozyten detektiert. Des Weiteren wurde die Korrelation der HDAC Expression in 11 humanen Tumorproben analysiert. Die Expressionslevel von HDAC2/8, HDAC4/5/7/9 und HDAC10 korrelierten miteinander, was darauf hindeutet, dass es Hoch- und Niedrig-âExprimiererâ gibt. Zudem konnte eine Dysregulation der HDACs im fortgeschrittenen Krankheitsstatus, jedoch nicht in prĂ€kanzerösen Stadien in murinen Proben gezeigt werden. Ăberlebensanalysen in groĂen PatientendatensĂ€tzen haben gezeigt, dass eine erhöhte Expression von HDAC1/2 (Klasse I) und HDAC7/9 (Klasse IIa) mit schlechterem Ăberleben korreliert. HDACi (SAHA und TSA) Behandlung von HCC Zelllinen fĂŒhrte zu zeit- und dosisabhĂ€ngiger ToxizitĂ€t. Die Behandlung von HCC Zellen mit subtoxischen Konzentrationen der HDACi reduzierten das Migrationspotential, die Proliferation und die Koloniebildung. Des Weiteren fĂŒhrte SAHA zur Induktion von zellulĂ€rer Seneszenz, im Gegensatz zu TSA. Zuletzt wurde der Effekt von HDACi und Sorafenib in Kombination auf HCC Zellen analysiert. Sorafenib ist ein Multi-Tyrosinkinaseinhibitor und derzeit das einzige gut etablierte Chemotherapeutikum fĂŒr die Behandlung von fortgeschrittenem HCC. Eine Kombinationsbehandlung von SAHA und Sorafenib induzierte additive zellulĂ€re Apoptose in HCC Zellen. Dieser Effekt wurde auch in Sorafenib-resistenten HCC Zellen gezeigt. Somit verstĂ€rkt eine Kombination von HDACi mit Sorafenib den Effekt von Sorafenib auf HCC Zellen und stellt dadurch eine potentielle Hilfe dar, um eine Sorafenib-Resistenz zu ĂŒberwinden. Als potentiell zugrundeliegender Mechanismus fĂŒr diesen Effekt, konnten Cytochrom P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) identifiziert werden. Eine synergistische Induktion der CYP2E1 und neutrophil cytosolic factor 1-like (P47PHOX) Expression wurde nach der Kombinationsbehandlung von HCC Zellen mit SAHA und Sorafenib detektiert. P47PHOX ist ein Marker fĂŒr oxidativen Stress. Dies weist darauf hin, dass eine Kombinationsbehandlung mit SAHA und Sorafenib den oxidativen Stress verstĂ€rkt und dadurch die zellulĂ€re Apoptose der HCC Zellen stĂ€rker induziert.
Die vorangehenden erzielten Ergebnisse konnten zeigen, dass HDAC Isoformen in CLD differentiell reguliert werden. In einer frĂŒheren Studie unserer Arbeitsgruppe konnten gezeigt werden, dass HDAC7 an der Regulation des Hepatozyten-wachstumsfaktor (HGF) Signalweges in der hepatischen Fibrose beteiligt ist. Daher wurde im Folgenden auf die Charakterisierung von HDAC7 in CLD fokussiert.
Im dritten Teil der Promotion wurde die Expression und Funktion von HDAC7 in der Leberfibrose analysiert. In vier verschiedenen murinen Fibrosemodellen wurde eine Induktion der HDAC7 mRNA und eine Korrelation mit der Kollagen 1 Expression detektiert. Kollagen 1 ist das zentrale extrazellulĂ€re Matrix Protein wĂ€hrend der hepatischen Fibrose. HDAC7 Depletion in HSC, mittels siRNA Transfektion, fĂŒhrte zu verstĂ€rkter Phosphorylierung von p38-mitogenaktivierter Proteinkinase (p-p38). Die Aktivierung der anderen mitogenaktivierten Proteinkinasen (MAPK) wurde nicht beeinflusst. Des Weiteren konnten keine VerĂ€nderungen auf den proinflammatorischen nukleĂ€ren Faktor kappa B (NF-kB) Signalweg gezeigt werden und die HDAC7 Depletion hatte keinen Effekt auf die Proliferation von HSC.
Im vierten Teil der Promotion wurde die Expression und Funktion von HDAC7 im HCC untersucht. Hypoxie, ein Kennzeichen von HCC Tumorgewebe, induzierte die HDAC7 mRNA Expression. Dies konnte durch die Depletion von Hypoxie-induziertem Faktor 1 alpha (Hif-1α), einem SchlĂŒsselmediator fĂŒr die Hypoxie Downstream Signalwege, nicht aufgehoben werden. Dies weist darauf hin, dass HDAC7 unabhĂ€ngig von Hif-1α reguliert wird. Zudem fĂŒhrte HDAC7 Depletion in HCC Zellen zu verstĂ€rkter Phosphorylierung von p38, wobei die anderen MAPK unverĂ€ndert blieben. Die Depletion von HDAC7 in HCC Zellen fĂŒhrte zu einer Reduktion von phosphoryliertem NF-kB. Es wurden keine signifikanten Effekte auf Proliferation, Migration oder Apoptose in HDAC7-depletierten HCC Zellen beobachtet. Die Analyse von Autophagiemarkern wies darauf hin, dass der autophagosomale Flux nach HDAC7-Depletion in HCC Zellen verĂ€ndert ist. Dahingehend sind weitere Experimente nötig und den zugrundeliegenden Mechanismus aufzuklĂ€ren.
Der fĂŒnfte Teil der Promotion hat sich mit der Generierung einer HSC-spezifischen HDAC7 Knockout Maus mit dem CreLoxP System beschĂ€ftigt. Die MĂ€use wurden genotypisiert und die mRNA und Proteinexpression von HDAC7 und Cre wurde in den HSC gemessen. Die HSC-spezifische HDAC7 Knockoutmaus zeigte keine HDAC7 Expression in HSC mehr und wurde somit erfolgreich generiert. Die MĂ€use zeigen keinen PhĂ€notyp und die primĂ€ren HSC unterschieden sich morphologisch nicht von Wildtypzellen. VorlĂ€ufige Daten zeigen, dass die HSC-spezifische HDAC7 Knockout Maus sich in zwei unterschiedlichen Fibrosemodellen, dem Thioazetamid Model (TAA) und dem Gallengangsligatur Model (BDL), kontrovers verhalten. Die durch TAA induzierte hepatische Fibrose konnte in HSC-spezifischen HDAC7 KnockoutmĂ€usen verbessert werden, wohingegen mit dem BDL Modell keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen BDL behandelten Knockout- und WildtypmĂ€usen gezeigt werden konnten.
Die Zielsetzung im sechsten Teil der Promotion, war die Generierung einer Hepatozyten-spezifischen HDAC7 Knockoutmaus. Bis jetzt konnte keine Zelltyp-spezifische Deletion von HDAC7 erreicht werden. Die MĂ€use wurden als Hepatozyten-spezifische HDAC7 KnockoutmĂ€use genotypisiert. Jedoch exprimierten die Hepatozyten sowohl auf mRNA als auch auf Proteinebene noch HDAC7. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Cre Rekombinaseexpression, welche fĂŒr das Herausschneiden des HDAC7 Genes nötig ist, nicht in allen Hepatozyten detektiert werden konnte. Dies fĂŒhrte zu einem so genannten âMosaikâ, einer teilweisen Deletion von HDAC7 in Hepatozyten. Dadurch konnte keine vollstĂ€ndige HDAC7 Deletion erreicht werden. Die Verwendung einer andern Hepatozyten-spezifischen Cre Rekombinase Maus könnte bei der Generierung der Hepatozyten-spezifischen HDAC7 Knockout Maus helfen.
In diesem Promotionsprojekt konnte gezeigt werden, dass HDACs eine wichtige Rolle in hepatischer Fibrose und HCC spielen. Die individuellen HDAC Isoformen zeigen unterschiedliche Eigenschaften und sind je nach Stimuli individuell reguliert. Die Verwendung von HDACi könnte als nĂŒtzlicher Ansatz fĂŒr die Therapie, auch in Kombination mit Sorafenib, dem am besten etablierten Erstlinientherapeutikum fĂŒr fortgeschrittenes HCC, verwendet werden. Die gezeigten Daten fĂŒr HDAC7 in Fibrose und HCC, sowie zukĂŒnftige Analysen, bilden die Basis fĂŒr ein tieferes VerstĂ€ndnis der Rolle und Funktion von HDAC7 und seinem Potential als therapeutisches Zielgen
Minimal Dirac Fermionic Dark Matter with Nonzero Magnetic Dipole Moment
A neutral Dirac fermion is supplied as a singlet within the context of the
standard model (SM) and is considered as a dark matter (DM) candidate near
electroweak scale (10-1000 GeV) with nonzero magnetic dipole moment. The Dirac
particles have four different types of electromagnetic couplings (four form
factors) in general. We predict that the candidate mainly interacts with SM
particles through magnetic dipole moment (MDM), since MDM conserves the
discrete symmetries like parity (P), time reversal (T), and charge conjugation
(C) or its combination CP. The magnetic dipole moment constrained by the relic
density may be as large as 10^(-18)-10^(-17)e cm. We show that the elastic
scattering is due to a spin-spin interaction for the direct detection, and the
candidate with mass near electroweak scale is under experimental limits of the
current direct detectors, XENON10 and CDMS II. We also consider the possibility
of WIMP detection in near future.Comment: Fig.5 and statements related to it are modifie
A revision of the Generalized Uncertainty Principle
The Generalized Uncertainty Principle arises from the Heisenberg Uncertainty
Principle when gravity is taken into account, so the leading order correction
to the standard formula is expected to be proportional to the gravitational
constant . On the other hand, the emerging picture suggests a
set of departures from the standard theory which demand a revision of all the
arguments used to deduce heuristically the new rule. In particular, one can now
argue that the leading order correction to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
is proportional to the first power of the Planck length . If so, the
departures from ordinary quantum mechanics would be much less suppressed than
what is commonly thought.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur
Hybrid Natural Low Scale Inflation
We discuss the phenomenological implications of hybrid natural inflation
models in which the inflaton is a pseudo-Goldstone boson but inflation is
terminated by a second scalar field. A feature of the scheme is that the scale
of breaking of the Goldstone symmetry can be lower than the Planck scale and so
gravitational corrections are under control. We show that, for supersymmetric
models, the scale of inflation can be chosen anywhere between the Lyth upper
bound and a value close to the electroweak breaking scale. Unlike previous
models of low scale inflation the observed density perturbations and spectral
index are readily obtained by the choice of the free parameters
Model-Independent Comparison of Direct vs. Indirect Detection of Supersymmetric Dark Matter
We compare the rate for elastic scattering of neutralinos from various nuclei
with the flux of upward muons induced by energetic neutrinos from neutralino
annihilation in the Sun and Earth. We consider both scalar and axial-vector
interactions of neutralinos with nuclei. We find that the event rate in a kg of
germanium is roughly equivalent to that in a - to -m muon
detector for a neutralino with primarily scalar coupling to nuclei. For an
axially coupled neutralino, the event rate in a 50-gram hydrogen detector is
roughly the same as that in a 10- to 500-m muon detector. Expected
experimental backgrounds favor forthcoming elastic-scattering detectors for
scalar couplings while the neutrino detectors have the advantage for
axial-vector couplings.Comment: 10 pages, self-unpacking uuencoded PostScript fil
Natural braneworld inflation and baryogenesis
In natural inflation models, the inflaton is a pseudo Nambu-Goldstone boson
and the flatness of the potential is protected by shift symmetries. In this
framework, a successful inflation requires the global symmetry to be
spontaneously broken at a scale close to the Planck mass. Such a high value of
the spontaneous breaking scale may not be legitimate in an effective field
theory. On the other hand, if natural inflation occurs during the
nonconventional high-energy era in braneworld cosmology, the conditions for the
inflaton slow rolling can be eased and the spontaneous breaking scale can be
lowered to values below the Planck scale. We examine the observational
constraints on this scenario and study the possibility that the baryon
asymmetry of the universe is generated by the decay of the pseudo
Nambu-Goldstone boson during the reheating era.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures; comments added, references updated. Final
version to appear in Phys. Lett.
Heisenberg-picture approach to the evolution of the scalar fields in an expanding universe
We present the Heisenberg-picture approach to the quantum evolution of the
scalar fields in an expanding FRW universe which incorporates relatively simply
the initial quantum conditions such as the vacuum state, the thermal
equilibrium state, and the coherent state. We calculate the Wightman function,
two-point function, and correlation function of a massive scalar field. We find
the quantum evolution of fluctuations of a self-interacting field
perturbatively and discuss the renormalization of field equations.Comment: 15 pages, RevTeX, no figure
Histone Deacetylase Expressions in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Functional Effects of Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors on Liver Cancer Cells In Vitro
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause for deaths worldwide. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition (HDACi) is emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy. However, most pharmacological HDACi unselectively block different HDAC classes and their molecular mechanisms of action are only incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to systematically analyze expressions of different HDAC classes in HCC cells and tissues and to functionally analyze the effect of the HDACi suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA) and trichostatin A (TSA) on the tumorigenicity of HCC cells. The gene expression of all HDAC classes was significantly increased in human HCC cell lines (Hep3B, HepG2, PLC, HuH7) compared to primary human hepatocytes (PHH). The analysis of HCC patient data showed the increased expression of several HDACs in HCC tissues compared to non-tumorous liver. However, there was no unified picture of regulation in three different HCC patient datasets and we observed a strong variation in the gene expression of different HDACs in tumorous as well as non-tumorous liver. Still, there was a strong correlation in the expression of HDAC class IIa (HDAC4, 5, 7, 9) as well as HDAC2 and 8 (class I) and HDAC10 (class IIb) and HDAC11 (class IV) in HCC tissues of individual patients. This might indicate a common mechanism of the regulation of these HDACs in HCC. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset analysis revealed that HDAC4, HDAC7 and HDAC9 as well as HDAC class I members HDAC1 and HDAC2 is significantly correlated with patient survival. Furthermore, we observed that SAHA and TSA reduced the proliferation, clonogenicity and migratory potential of HCC cells. SAHA but not TSA induced features of senescence in HCC cells. Additionally, HDACi enhanced the efficacy of sorafenib in killing sorafenib-susceptible cells. Moreover, HDACi reestablished sorafenib sensitivity in resistant HCC cells. In summary, HDACs are significantly but differently increased in HCC, which may be exploited to develop more targeted therapeutic approaches. HDACi affect different facets of the tumorigenicity of HCC cells and appears to be a promising therapeutic approach alone or in combination with sorafenib
Natural Inflation and Flavor Mixing from Peccei-Quinn Symmetry Breaking
We propose a left-right symmetric model to simultaneously give natural
inflation and flavor mixing from a Peccei-Quinn symmetry breaking at the Planck
scale. Our model can be embedded in SO(10) grand unification theories.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
Cosmological Implications of Domain Walls due to Duality Invariant Moduli Sector of Superstring Vacua
We study cosmological implications of the duality ()
invariant potential for the compactification radius , arising in a class of
superstring vacua. We show that in spite of having only one minimum in the
fundamental domain of the field there are two types of non-supersymmetric
domain walls: one is associated with the discrete Peccei-Quinn symmetry , analogous to the axionic domain wall, and another one associated with the
noncompact symmetry , analogous to the domain walls. The first
one is bound by stringy cosmic strings. The scale of such domain walls is
governed by the scale of gaugino condensation ( GeV) in the
case of hidden gauge group), while the separation between minima is of
order . We discuss the formation of walls and their cosmological
implications: the walls must be gotten rid of, either by chopping by stringy
cosmic strings and/or inflation. Since there is no usual Kibble mechanism to
create strings, either one must assume they exist , or one must
conclude that string cosmologies require inflation. The non-perturbative
potential dealt with here appears not to give the needed inflationary epoch.Comment: 10p., 3 figures, not included, minor wording change
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