The Inadequacy of the Sub-Gene Hypothesis of the Nature of the Scute Allelomorphs of Drosophila

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Abstract
Each scute gene, as well as the normal allelomorph, is supposed by Serebrovsky, Dubinin, and Agol to be a series of sub-genes in linear arrangement. Changes in different blocks give rise to the various scute mutants. This gene series corresponds to a similar arrangement of the bristles of the adult fly, and has led to an extreme preformationist explanation. Agol claims he confirmed this by his study of the effects of chromosome fragments on these assumed sub-genes.[long dash]The authors object to the system because: (1) the dominance relations of scute depend upon other portions of the X. Their data show 3 regions concerned[long dash]the scute region itself, a central region tending to inhibit scute, and a distal portion enhancing it. This is not in accord with Agol''s work. (2) Bristles far from the main field of action are affected. Both scute1 and achaete act on bristles throughout the length of the series. This destroys the logical basis of the system.

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