Drought is a major constraint for the production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). To identify molecular responses to water deficit, we performed a differential display RT-PCR (DDRT) analysis using roots of bean plants grown aeroponically and submitted to dehydration. This allowed us to visualise 1200 DDRT bands, 8.7% of which showed a clear regulation by dehydration, and to clone 42 cDNAs, called PvD1 to PvD42. Among them, 20 early-dehydration-responsive cDNAs were selected by reverse northern that were induced or repressed before detectable water status changes and induction of ABA-regulated genes. Northern analysis for 16 PvD clones confirmed these early regulations and allowed us to identify four late dehydration-responsive genes. Their putative involvement in signalling, protein turn-over and translocation, chaperones as well as root growth modulations in response to water stress is discussed.