Science - USA (2021-11-12)

PHOTO: NASA

SCIENCE science.org 12 NOVEMBER 2021 • VOL 374 ISSUE 6569 835

how gene transcription is

regulated is incomplete. The

so-called Integrator can stop

the transcribing enzyme RNA

polymerase II at the begin-

ning of genes, but how such

down-regulation of transcription

occurs is unclear. Fianu et al.

present the three-dimensional

structure of Integrator bound

to the transcribing polymerase

complex, providing molecular

and mechanistic insights into

how Integrator mediates tran-

scription regulation. —DJ

Science, abk0154, this issue p. 883

CORONAVIRUS

Valuing vaccination

Using money as a motivation for

the public to get vaccinated is

controversial and has had mixed

results in studies, few of which

have been randomized trials. To

test the effect of money as an

incentive to obtain a vaccine,

Campos-Mercade et al. set

up a study in Sweden in 2021,

when various age groups were

first made eligible to receive

the severe acute respiratory

coronavirus 2 vaccine (see the

Perspective by Jecker). The

effect of a small cash reward,

around US $24, was compared

with the effect of several behav-

ioral nudges. The outcome of

this preregistered, randomized

clinical trial was that money had

the power to increase partici-

pation by about 4 percentage

points. Nudging and reminding

didn’t seem to be deleterious

and even had a small positive

effect. Of course, the question

of whether it is ethical to pay

people to be vaccinated needs

to be addressed. —CA

Science, abm0475, this issue p. 879;

see also abm6400, p. 819

SPECTROSCOPY

Resolution of the s-hole

Anisotropic distribution of

charges on atoms plays an

important role in intermo-

lecular interactions, yet direct

experimental imaging remains a

long-standing challenge. A good

example is the s-hole, an aniso-

tropic charge distribution on a

halogen atom covalently linked

NEUROSCIENCE

Where and when of

memory consolidation

Episodic memory is initially

encoded in the hippocampus and

later transferred to other brain

regions for long-term storage.

Synaptic plasticity underlies

learning and plays a critical role in

memory consolidation. However,

it remains largely unknown where

and when synaptic plasticity

occurs and how it shapes the

neuronal representation. Goto et

al. developed a new tool for con-

trolling early structural long-term

potentiation (sLTP). By selectively

manipulating sLTP, the authors

showed that the local circuitry in

hippocampal area CA1 is required

for memory formation shortly

after the encoding event. The

local circuitry is also important

for offline memory consolidation

within 24 hours. The anterior

cingulate cortex, another brain

region directly connected with

area CA1, is crucial for memory

consolidation during sleep on the

second night. —PRS

Science, abj9195, this issue p. 857

TRANSCRIPTION

How Integrator ends

transcription early

Transcription is the central

process that activates the

genetic information in cells,

but our understanding of

LUNAR GEOLOGY

Sample return shows late lunar volcanism

M

easuring physical samples of Solar System bodies in the laboratory provides more

information than is possible from remote sensing alone. In December 2020, the

Chang’e-5 mission landed on the Moon, collected samples, and then returned them to

Earth. Che et al. analyzed two fragments of volcanic lunar basalt collected by Chang’e-5.

Radiometric dating using lead isotopes indicated that the rocks formed from magma

that erupted about 2 billion years ago, later than other volcanic lunar samples. The abundance

of extinct radioactive elements in the rock is too low for radioactive heating to have produced

the magma. Another, thus far unknown, source must have been responsible for the late lunar

volcanism. —KTS Science, abl7957, this issue p. 887

RESEARCH

Edited by Michael Funk

IN SCIENCE JOURNALS

Samples of lunar basalt returned by the Chang’e-5 lander provide evidence for late volcanism on the Moon.