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ARP2/3 is an evolutionarily conserved heteroheptameric protein complex. Its main activity lies in the nucleation of dendritic actin filaments that are involved in membrane remodeling. ARP2/3 takes part in plasma membrane remodeling and the formation of cytoplasmic protrusions that serve in the amoeboid motion of mammalian cells and some protists and plays role in exocytosis and endocytosis of animal and yeast cells. The main objective of this work was to find a connection between the ARP2/3 complex and the regulation of the plant endomembrane system. Using TIRF microscopy we visualized the localization of the ARP2/3 complex in the cortical layer of plant cells and compared it to the localization of several endomembrane markers from the Rab family and an exocytotic marker Exo84b. In the vicinity of the plasma membrane, the ARP2/3 complex subunits localized to dynamic dots very similar to the localization of Exo84b protein. Colocalization analysis showed that a small portion of Exo84b marker and ARP2/3 complex signals colocalize and this result was seconded by the biochemical approach of coimmunoprecipitation. Key words: ARP2/3, endomembrane system, cortical layer, RabA1g, RabC1, RaD2a, Exo84b

2 Abstract ARP2/3 protein complex is formed from seven proteins (ARP2, ARP3 and ARC1- ARPC5) with a relatively conserved structure. ARP2/3 complex branches and nucleates new actin filaments. This thesis focuses on the study of the role and importance of the individual subunits of the complex ARP2/3 in plants. One of the principal aims of this work is to determine whether complex ARP2/3 may at least partially maintain its role when one or more of the subunits are not available. Furthermore if the individual subunits play another, plant-specific role and if the subunits are functionally equivalent in the complex. The main way how to achieve this objective is the analysis of multiple mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana in subunits of ARP2/3 complex. After comparing several phenotypes of mutant lines it is obvious that all the subunits are functionally equivalent. A loss of ARPC5 subunit usually manifests the strongest phenotypic expression. On the contrary, loss ARPC3 and ARPC2b subunits have weak phenotypic manifestations. Because some phenotypes, such as phenotype distorted trichomes was detected only in some mutant lines, whereas the phenotype of faster roots gravitropic response or vacuolar system fragmentation that was detected in all analyzed mutants suggests, that different subunits play varying roles...