The Golgi complex: 120 years and it doesn't show

Hundred and twenty years after its discovery, the Golgi complex still attracts the interest of cell biologists, and many yet open questions address both 'old' and 'new' aspects of its function. Over this long period, the field has shifted focus several times, giving rise to distinct eras of Golgi research. The initial descriptive era laid the basis for our present knowledge of the Golgi organization and transport function, whereas the subsequent reductionist era involved the identification of basic molecular machineries that execute fundamental and elementary trafficking steps. During the genomic era, we have observed a notable increase in the repertoire of molecular components known to contribute to the organization and function of the Golgi, as well as to the integration of Golgi functions with the global cell response. Presently, in the postgenomic era, we are faced with the challenge of incorporating available information into a coherent model of the morphological and functional organization of the Golgi that encompasses the diverse roles of this organelle in cargo transport, sorting and processing; in lipid metabolism; and as a relay or generator of signaling cascades. The diverse roles of the Golgi are the focus of the review articles collected in this FEBS Letters Special Issue on the Golgi complex. This Special Issue has been inspired by a FEBS special meeting held last October in Sorrento, namely the 2018 Golgi meeting: membrane trafficking in cell organization and homeostasis