Anisomycin is a specific agonist of JNK with a concentration of 25 ng/ml [1].

JNK is short for c-Jun N-terminal kinase which reported as a proapoptotic kinase and plays an important role in many cellular events, such as cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and cell stress. It is also reported that JNK plays a pivotal role in the cell apoptosis induced by UV and activated JNK pathway could enhance TNF-α mediated apoptosis thus often regarded as a potent target in clinic [2] [3].

Anisomycin is a potent JNK agonist. When tested with hormone refractory cell line DU 145(highly resist to Fas mediated apoptosis), 250 ng/ml anisomysin treatment induced DU145 cells apoptosis together with Fas (200 ng/ml) via activating JNK [4]. In HL-60 cells, treatment of anisomysin activated JNK pathway activity which further induced cell apoptosis [5]. When tested with primary murine embryonic fibroblasts, anisomycin treatment stimulated cell apoptosis via activating JNK expression [6].

References:
[1].  Jiang, J., et al., Spermassociated antigen 9 promotes astrocytoma cell invasion through the upregulation of podocalyxin. Mol Med Rep, 2014. 10(1): p. 417-22.
[2].  Lin, A., Activation of the JNK signaling pathway: breaking the brake on apoptosis. Bioessays, 2003. 25(1): p. 17-24.
[3].  Liu, J. and A. Lin, Role of JNK activation in apoptosis: a double-edged sword. Cell Res, 2005. 15(1): p. 36-42.
[4].  Curtin, J.F. and T.G. Cotter, Anisomycin activates JNK and sensitises DU 145 prostate carcinoma cells to Fas mediated apoptosis. Br J Cancer, 2002. 87(10): p. 1188-94.
[5].  Stadheim, T.A. and G.L. Kucera, c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK) is required for mitoxantrone- and anisomycin-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells. Leuk Res, 2002. 26(1): p. 55-65.
[6].  Tournier, C., et al., Requirement of JNK for stress-induced activation of the cytochrome c-mediated death pathway. Science, 2000. 288(5467): p. 870-4.