Haemonchus contortus HcL6 promoted the Th9 immune response in goat PBMCs by activating the STAT6/PU.1/NF-κB pathway

Th9 cells play a crucial role in parasite immunity. The development of Th9 cells is facilitated by several cytokines. Key transcription factors, such as STAT6, STAT5, and PU.1, are known to enhance IL-9 expression during the Th9 immune response. NF-κB-mediated transduction pathways participate in the induction of IL-9. In a previous study, we unveiled a unique ribosomal protein derived from Haemonchus contortus excretory-secretory proteins (HcESPs) that interact with host Th9 cells. In the present study, the effects of the Haemonchus contortus ribosomal protein L6 domain DE-containing protein (HcL6) on IL-9 secretion, Th9 differentiation, and IL-9 transcription were assessed by employing ELISA, flow cytometry, and qPCR methodologies. The observations revealed the transcriptional upregulation of several key genes within the Th9 immune response pathway. Moreover, silencing STAT6, PU.1, and NF-κB was found to attenuate the Th9 immune response. In this study, we unveiled the Th9 immune response-inducing capabilities of HcL6 and elucidated some of its underlying mechanisms. These findings suggest that HcL6 is an immunostimulatory antigen capable of inducing the Th9 immune response. These insights could prove instrumental in identifying potential candidate antigens for the development of immunoprophylactic strategies against H. contortus infections. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13567-023-01214-5.