Axis induction requires the transport of maternal and zygotic factors from the vegetal pole of the embryo to the dorsal organizer region. This is mediated by a process called the cortical rotation which is mediated by a parallel arrangement of microtubules. These studies describe this process using maternal effect mutations that have been identified from genetic screens, using Danio rerio (zebrafish) as a model. hecate encodes Glutamate receptor interacting protein 2a which is necessary for microtubule reorganization and formation of dorsoanterior structures. tmi encodes Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1-like and is necessary for cell division and cytokinesis, as well as microtubule bundling and alignment necessary for axis induction. Both maternal mutants as well as drug inhibitors of cytoskeletal dynamics reveal important steps to understanding the conserved developmental process of vertebrate axis induction.