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Mutable genes in maize are under the control of identifiable components that exhibit an unusual behavior. These components control the loci with which they are associated in that the action of a particular locus becomes altered when the component is intimately associated with it. Characteristics of mutable genes include variable rates of mutability which are heritable and can be recognized as distinct pattern types, specificity between members of a mutable system, diverse pathways of mutation and the transposition of mutable gene components from one position to another in the genome. It ishypothesized that normal gene action is inhibited by controlling elements (Ds, MCCLINTOCK 1951; Mp, BRINK and NILAN 1952; or Z, PETERSON 1960a) when they are located in the vicinity of the affected locus. In certain cases the presence of a second element (such as En) is necessary before any expression of mutability can be discerned; i.e., in the absence of the second element, these inhibited loci appear to be stable recessiv s (Figure 2h).

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