The mode of action of rhizoxin (1a), a new antitumor macrolide, was investigated. Rhizoxin inhibited fusion of the male and the female pronuclei in fertilized sea urchin eggs and inhibited cilia formation in the deciliated sea urchin embryos. In vitro, polymerization of tubulin isolated from porcine brains was completely inhibited at a 1 X 10(-5) M concentration of rhizoxin, and tubulin which had been polymerized by incubation at 37 degrees C for 30 minutes was depolymerized by addition of 1 X 10(-5) M of the drug. Activity of rhizoxin against tubulin polymerization was compared with those of other anti-tubulin drugs such as colchicine, vinblastine and ansamitocin P-3. The homologues of rhizoxin, 1b-3b, also inhibited polymerization of the purified microtuble protein at almost the same extent as rhizoxin.