Off-diagonal generalized vector dominance in DIS and QCD

We review the generalized vector dominance (GVD) approach to DIS at small values of the scaling variable, x. In particular, we concentrate on a recent formulation of GVD that explicitly incorporates the configuration of the gamma^* -> q qbar transition and a QCD-inspired ansatz for the (qqbar)p scattering amplitude. The destructive interference, originally introduced in off-diagonal GVD is traced back to the generic strcuture of two-gluon exchange. Asymptotically, the transverse photoabsorption cross section behaves as (ln Q^2)/Q^2, implying a logarithmic violation of scaling for F_2, while the longitudinal-to-transverse ratio decreases as 1/\ln Q^2. We also briefly comment on vector-meson production