Aquaporins are important for how plants handle water. In this study, upland and lowland rice were stressed with lack of water and a plant hormone called ABA. Upland rice responded by increasing certain aquaporin proteins and genes, while lowland rice did not. ABA levels also rose in upland rice but not in lowland rice under water stress. This shows that different types of rice have different responses to water stress and ABA, suggesting that aquaporin genes are controlled by both ABA-related and independent signals during water shortage.