Aeromonas encheleia, a potential human intestinal pathogen, was shown to infect a human intestinal epithelial cell line (Caco-2) in a noninvasive manner. The transcriptional profile of the Caco-2 cells after infection with the bacteria revealed an upregulated expression of genes involved in chloride secretion, including that of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase (PAFAH2). This was also confirmed by a real-time RT-PCR analysis. As expected from PLA2 induction, PAF was produced when the Caco-2 cells were infected with the bacteria, and PAF was also produced when the cells were treated with a bacterial culture supernatant including bacterial extracellular proteins, yet lacking lipopolysaccharides. Bacterial aerolysin was shown to induce the production of PAF