Johannes Reinke (1839-1931) and his “Dominanten” theory - An early concept of gene regulation and morphogenesis

Johannes Reinke (1839-1931) was one of the most eminent and influential botanists, politician, philosopher and “anti-Haeckelist” of the 19th century. Educated in the mid 19th century he had faced revolutionary changes in the scientific understanding of the origin and evolution of life. Working mainly at the phenotypic level, Reinke was interested in the basic mechanisms and the guiding idea behind all processes which coordinated gene regulation and morphogenesis. What drove Reinke in his search of regulatory mechanisms for evolutionary patterns and processes was his religious belief. For the origin of the very first life, Reinke believed in creation but once life was established, evolution followed natural laws. This led to his early concept of “Dominanten” entities, which regulate gene transcription and morphogenesis, anticipating the ideas of Goldschmidt and v. Uexküll.