Chara has been used as a model for decades in the field of plant physiology, enabling the investigation of fundamental physiological processes. In electrophysiological studies, Chara has been utilized thanks to its large internodal cells that can be easily manipulated. Additionally, Chara played a pioneering role in elucidating the presence and function of the cytoskeleton in cytoplasmic streaming, predating similar findings in terrestrial plants. Its representation considerably declined following the establishment and routine application of genetic transformation techniques in Arabidopsis. Nevertheless, the recent surge in evo-devo studies can be attributed to the whole genome sequencing of the Chara braunii, which has shed light on ancestral traits prevalent in land plants. Surprisingly, the Chara braunii genome encompasses numerous genes that were previously regarded as exclusive to land plants, suggesting their acquisition prior to the colonization of terrestrial habitats. This review summarizes the established methods used to study Chara, while incorporating recent molecular data, to showcase its renewed importance as a model organism in advancing plant evolutionary developmental biology.

Chara几十年来一直被用作植物生理学领域的模型，使得基本生理过程的研究成为可能。在电生理学研究中，Chara因其易于操作的大型节间细胞而得到利用。此外，Chara在阐明细胞质流中细胞骨架的存在和功能方面发挥了先驱作用，早于陆地植物中的类似发现。随着拟南芥遗传转化技术的建立和常规应用，其代表性显着下降。尽管如此，最近进化-发育研究的激增可归因于布氏轮藻的全基因组测序，该测序揭示了陆地植物中普遍存在的祖先特征。令人惊讶的是，布氏轮藻基因组包含许多以前被认为是陆地植物独有的基因，这表明它们在陆地生境殖民化之前就获得了。这篇综述总结了用于研究轮藻的既定方法，同时结合了最新的分子数据，以展示其作为模式生物在推进植物进化发育生物学方面的新重要性。