Medical Microbiology and Immunology (Master of Science)
Neuroscience (Master of Science)
Graduate School
SOM Leadership
SOM Academic Faculty Affairs
CRISS II - Criss 2 - 421
Jason C . Bartz, PhD
Associate Dean, Academic and Faculty Affairs
Professor
Examples of the most recent publications can be obtained from this PubMed link
Teaching Interests
Prion disease
Research Focus
Prion diseases are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases that affect humans (e.g. Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease) and animals (e.g. chronic wasting disease). Prions are comprised of PrPSc, a self-templating conformation of the host encoded protein, PrPC.
Research in the Bartz lab investigates interspecies prion transmission, prion pathogenesis, the environmental fate of prions, and the biology of prion strains. We have developed novel whole animal and in vitro models of prion disease and, more importantly, the results from these systems have impacted the understanding of prions. The results of our work have changed the paradigm of how a protein encoded infectious agent can encode strain diversity, which as significant impact on prion diseases and prion-like diseases (e.g. Parkinson’s) where prion strain diversity is also observed. We have identified novel routes of prion infection and the pathways that prions travel to the CNS. Importantly, we were the first to show that inhalation of prions is more efficient that oral infection. We have also mapped, in fine detail, the pathways of prion spread throughout the CNS and shown that prion strains use the same neuroanatomical pathways. More recently, we have expanded our studies to include the interaction of prions with the environment. We have leveraged our expertise in prion biology with our collaborators in environmental engineering and have made fundamental discoveries on how prions interact with the environment and how this influences the biology of prion disease. We are one of a handful of labs in the world that are investigating prion diseases that have expertise in both whole animal and biochemical approaches to prion disease. Overall, we have been able to integrate our work on prion strains, pathogenesis and the environmental fate of prions that provides a unique insight into the biology of this disease.
Bartelt-Hunt Shannon L, Prions in the Environment - Chapter 10 [Book Chapter] 2023
Prions and Diseases Shikiya Ronald A., Prion Strain Interference [Book Chapter] 2023
Prions and Neurodegenerative Diseases Holec Sara A.M., The role of prion strain diversity in the development of successful therapeutic treatments [Book Chapter] 2020
Handbook of Clinical Neurology Diack Abigail B., Experimental models of human prion diseases and prion strains [Book Chapter] 2018
Viral Infections of Humans : Epidemiology and Control Belay Ermias D., Prion Diseases [Book Chapter] 2014
Prions and Diseases : Volume 1, Physiology and Pathophysiology Schutt Charles R., Prion strain interference [Book Chapter] 2013
Prions and Diseases : Volume 2, Animals, Humans and the Environment Bartelt-Hunt Shannon L., Prions in the environment [Book Chapter] 2013
Bartelt-Hunt S. L., Soil Binds Prions and Influences their Biologic Properties 2012
Articles
Sigurdson Christina J., Tracking protein aggregate interactions 2011
Publications
Prion Kincaid Anthony E., Expression of the cellular prion protein by mast cells in white-tailed deer carotid body, cervical lymph nodes and ganglia 18:1, p. 94 - 102 2024
mBio Steadman Benjamin S., Minor prion substrains overcome transmission barriers, p. e0272124 2024
Pathogens (Basel) Bartz Jason C., Chronic Wasting Disease: State of the Science 13:2, p. 138 2024
Biology (Basel, Switzerland) Simmons Sara M, Strain-Specific Targeting and Destruction of Cells by Prions 13:1, p. 57 2024
Prion Sweetland Gregory D., Expression of the cellular prion protein by mast cells in the human carotid body 17:1, p. 67 - 74 2023
Journal of enzyme inhibition and medicinal chemistry Kim Dong Hwan, Synthesis and anti-prion aggregation activity of acylthiosemicarbazide analogues 38:1, p. 2191164 2023
PLoS pathogens Gunnels Tess, Evidence for preexisting prion substrain diversity in a biologically cloned prion strain 19:9, p. e1011632 - e1011632 2023
Scientific reports Block Alyssa J., Prion protein amino acid sequence influences formation of authentic synthetic PrPSc 13:1, p. 441 - 441 2023
Environment international Yuan Qi, Sensitive detection of chronic wasting disease prions recovered from environmentally relevant surfaces 166 2022
Pathogens Picasso-Risso Catalina, Assessment of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) Assay, Immunohistochemistry and ELISA for Detection of Chronic Wasting Disease under Field Conditions in White-Tailed Deer 11:5 2022
Viruses Koshy Sam M., Transport of Prions in the Peripheral Nervous System 14:3 2022
Cell and Tissue Research Block Alyssa J., Prion strains 2022
Acta Neuropathologica Bartz Jason C., Environmental and host factors that contribute to prion strain evolution 142:1, p. 5 - 16 2021
Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics Soto Patricia, Cellular prion protein gene polymorphisms linked to differential scrapie susceptibility correlate with distinct residue connectivity between secondary structure elements 39:1, p. 129 - 139 2021
mSphere Shikiya Ronald A., Failure to detect prion infectivity in ticks following prion-Infected blood meal 5:5 2020
Journal of Biological Chemistry Kang Hae Eun, Incomplete glycosylation during prion infection unmasks a prion protein epitope that facilitates prion detection and strain discrimination 295:30, p. 10420 - 10433 2020
Journal of Clinical Investigation Bartz Jason C., Underglycosylated prion protein modulates plaque formation in the brain 130:3, p. 1087 - 1089 2020
Journal of Clinical Investigation Bartz Jason C., Underglycosylated Prion protein modulates plaque formation in the brain 130:3, p. 1087 - 1089 2020
Journal of Biological Chemistry Bourkas Matthew E.C., Engineering a murine cell line for the stable propagation of hamster prions 294:13, p. 4911 - 4923 2019
Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease Sigurdson Christina J., Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Prion Disease 14, p. 497 - 516 2019
mSphere Holec Sara A.M., Alteration of prion strain emergence by nonhost factors 4:5 2019
PLoS pathogens Eckland Thomas E., Independent amplification of co-infected long incubation period low conversion efficiency prion strains 14:10 2018
Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces Phan Hanh T.M., Adsorption and decontamination of α-synuclein from medically and environmentally-relevant surfaces 166, p. 98 - 107 2018
Journal of Virology Yuan Qi, Dehydration of prions on environmentally relevant surfaces protects them from inactivation by freezing and thawing 92:8 2018
Prion Haley Nicholas J., Design, implementation, and interpretation of amplification studies for prion detection 12:2, p. 73 - 82 2018
Journal of Immunology Kane Sarah J., Complement regulatory protein factor H is a soluble prion receptor that potentiates peripheral prion pathogenesis 199:11, p. 3821 - 3827 2017
Plos Pathogens Shikiya Ronald A., PrPSc Formation and Clearance as Determinants of Prion Tropism 13:3, p. e1006298 - e1006298 2017
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Bian J., Prion Replication without Host Adaptation during Interspecies Transmissions 114:5, p. 1141 - 1146 2017
Journal of Virology Kincaid Anthony E., Specificity, Size, and Frequency of Spaces that Characterize the Mechanism of Bulk Transepithelial Transport of Prions in the Nasal Cavities of Hamsters and Mice 90:18, p. 8293 - 8301 2016
PLoS Pathogens Bartz Jason C., From Slow Viruses to Prions 12:7, p. (3 pages) 2016
Journal of Virology Langenfeld Katie A., Incongruity between Prion Conversion and Incubation Period Following CoInfection 90:12, p. 5715 - 5723 2016
Biophysical journal Woo Jesse, Conformational Dynamics of Prion Proteins at the Membrane Interface 110:3, p. 419a - 419a 2016
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine Bartz Jason C., Prion strain diversity 6:12 2016
PLoS One Phan H. T., Investigation of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) Attachment onto Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAMs) Using Combinatorial Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) 10:10, p. (20 pages) 2015
Journal of Virology Elder Alan M., Immediate and ongoing detection of prions in the blood of hamsters and deer following oral, nasal, or blood inoculations 89:14, p. 7421 - 7424 2015
New Horizons in Translational Medicine Elder Alan M., Longitudinal analysis of blood-borne prion infection 2:4-5, p. 128 - 128 2015
PLoS Pathogens Yuan Q., Mitigation of prion infectivity and conversion capacity by a simulated natural process--repeated cycles of drying and wetting 11:2, p. e1004638 2015
PLoS One Clouse Melissa D., Nasal Associated Lymphoid Tissue of the Syrian Golden Hamster Expresses High Levels of PrPC 10:2, p. e0117935 (10 pages) 2015
Biophysical journal Soto Patricia, Prion Proteins and Mechanisms of Interaction with Model Membranes 108:2, p. 91a - 91a 2015
Prion Shikiya Ronald A., Prion formation, but not clearance, is supported by protein misfolding cyclic amplification 8:6, p. 415 - 420 2014
PloS one Elder Alan M., In vitro detection of prionemia in TSE-infected cervids and hamsters 8:11 2013
PLoS pathogens Bartelt-Hunt Shannon L., Behavior of Prions in the Environment 9:2 2013
Journal of Virology Kincaid Anthony E., Rapid Transepithelial Transport of Prions following Inhalation 86:23, p. 12731 - 12740 2012
Journal of Biological Chemistry Kang Hae Eun, Characterization of conformation-dependent prion protein epitopes 287:44, p. 37219 - 37232 2012
PloS one Saunders Samuel E., Resistance of soil-bound prions to rumen digestion 7:8 2012
Chemosphere Saunders Samuel E., Soil-mediated prion transmission 87:7, p. 661 - 667 2012
Nebraska Academy of Sciences, PO Box 880410 Lincoln NE 68588-0410 United States. [np]. Apr 2012 Colling Ian, BINDING MODES OF AGAAAAGATO SYRIAN HAMSTER PRION PROTEINS 2012
Emerging Infectious Diseases Saunders Samuel E., Occurrence, transmission, and zoonotic potential of chronic wasting disease 18:3, p. 369 - 376 2012
Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE Saunders Samuel E., Protein misfolding cyclic amplification of prions. 2012
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Saunders Samuel E., An enzymatic treatment of soil-bound prions effectively inhibits replication 77:13, p. 4313 - 4317 2011
Journal of Virology Saunders Samuel E., Replication efficiency of soil-bound prions varies with soil type 85:11, p. 5476 - 5482 2011
Experimental Biology and Medicine Wang Ping, Selection and characterization of DNA aptamers against PrPSc 236:4, p. 466 - 476 2011
Journal of Virology Shikiya R. A., In vitro generation of high titer prions 85:24, p. 13439 - 13442 2011
PLoS Pathogens Ayers J. I., The Strain-Encoded Relationship between PrP Replication, Stability and Processing in Neurons is Predictive of the Incubation Period of Disease 7:3, p. e1001317 2011
PloS one Mays Charles E., In vitro amplification of misfolded prion protein using lysate of cultured cells 6:3 2011
PloS one Saunders Samuel E., Effects of solution chemistry and aging time on prion protein adsorption and replication of soil-bound prions 6:4 2011
Journal of Virology Shikiya R. A., Co-infecting prion strains compete for a limiting cellular resource 84:11, p. 5706 - 5714 2010
Environmental Science and Technology Saunders Samuel E., Enzymatic digestion of chronic wasting disease prions bound to soil 44:11, p. 4129 - 4135 2010
Environmental Science and Technology Saunders Samuel E., Prion protein adsorption to soil in a competitive matrix is slow and reduced 43:20, p. 7728 - 7733 2009
Environmental Science and Technology Saunders Samuel E., Influence of prion strain on prion protein adsorption to soil in a competitive matrix 43:14, p. 5242 - 5248 2009
PLoS pathogens Singh Ajay, Abnormal brain iron homeostasis in human and animal prion disorders 5:3 2009
Journal of Virology Ayers Jacob I., Prion strain targeting independent of strain-specific neuronal tropism. 83:1, p. 81 - 87 2009
Prion Kramer Michelle L., Rapid, high-throughput detection of PrPSc by 96-well immunoassay 3:1, p. 44 - 48 2009
Prion Saunders Samuel E., Prions in the environment 2:4, p. 162 - 169 2008
Environmental Science and Technology Saunders Samuel E., Environmentally-relevant forms of the prion protein 42:17, p. 6573 - 6579 2008
Journal of Comparative Pathology Sigurdson C. J., Experimental Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in the Ferret 138:4, p. 189 - 196 2008
Prion Schutt Charles R., Prion interference with multiple prion isolates. 2:2, p. 61 - 63 2008
Journal of Virology Kincaid Anthony E., The nasal cavity is a route for prion infection in hamsters 81:9, p. 4482 - 4491 2007
Journal of Virology Bartz Jason C., Prion interference is due to a reduction in strain-specific PrPSc levels 81:2, p. 689 - 697 2007
Veterinary Pathology Hamir A. N., First and second cattle passage of transmissible mink encephalopathy by intracerebral inoculation 43:2, p. 118 - 126 2006
Journal of Virology Marsh R. F., Interspecies transmission of chronic wasting disease prions to squirrel monkeys (Saimiti sciureus) 79:21, p. 13794 - 13796 2005
Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry Shara Michael, Safety and toxicological evaluation of a novel niacin-bound chromium (III) complex 99:11, p. 2161 - 2183 2005
Journal of Virology Bartz Jason C., Extraneural prion neuroinvasion without lymphoreticular system infection 79:18, p. 11858 - 11863 2005
Bartz Jason, Prion Transport to Secondary Lymphoreticular System Tissues 2005
Journal of Virology Mulcahy Ellyn R., Prion infection of skeletal muscle cells and papillae in the tongue 78:13, p. 6792 - 6798 2004
Journal of General Virology Bartz Jason C., Delay in onset of prion disease for the HY strain of transmissible mink encephalopathy as a result of prior peripheral inoculation with the replication-deficient DY strain 85, p. 265 - 273 2004
Journal of Virology Bartz Jason C., Rapid prion neuroinvasion following tongue infection 77:1, p. 583 - 591 2003
Journal of Virology Bartz Jason C., Retrograde transport of transmissible mink encephalopathy within descending motor tracts 76:11, p. 5759 - 5768 2002
Journal of Virology Bartz Jason C., Adaptation and selection of prion protein strain conformations following interspecies transmission of transmissible mink encephalopathy 74:12, p. 5542 - 5547 2000
Virology Bartz Jason C., The host range of chronic wasting disease is altered on passage in ferrets 251:2, p. 297 - 301 1998
Journal of Biological Chemistry McKenzie Debbie, Reversibility of scrapie inactivation is enhanced by copper 273:40, p. 25545 - 25547 1998
Seminars in Virology McKenzie D., Transmissible mink encephalopathy 7:3, p. 201 - 206 1996
Journal of General Virology Bartz J. C., Transmissible mink encephalopathy species barrier effect between ferret and mink 75:11, p. 2947 - 2953 1994
Presentations
Prion evolution: The role of prion strain interference. 2024
Prion strain evolution 2024
Rapid and sensitive determination of residual prion infectivity from prion decontaminated surfaces 2024
Emergence of substrains from a biologically cloned prion strain 2024
Prion strain evolution 2024
"The environmental fate of prions" Rocky Mountain Virology Meeting, Ft. Collins Colorado 2015
Prion strain tropism - NeuroPrion 2015 2015
University of Nebraska Medical Center - Prion disease lecture for Pharmacology 930 2015
University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Prion disease lecture for Viral Pathogenesis graduate student class 2014
University of Nebraska: The biology of prion diseases 2014
Iowa State University: Prion strain interference 2014
University of Nebraska: Prion strain interference 2014
"Prion strain selection in the central nervous system" University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. 2005
"Prion strain selection" United States Department of Agriculture, Animal Research Service. Ames, IA. 2005
"Prion strain selection and targeting in the central nervous system" Nebraska center for virology external advisory meeting. Lincoln, NE. 2005
"Prion diseases of humans and animals" Nebraska Infection Control Network 25th anniversary educational conference. Omaha NE. August 11-12, 2005. 2005
Sigurdson, C., Aguzzi, A., Hoover, E., MAthiason, C., Perrott, M., Glatzel, M., Bartz, J.C., Manco, G., Sprker, T. and Miller, M. (2005). Chronic wasting disease: across the species barrier. The Second International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium. Madison WI. July 12-14, 2005. 2005
Ayers, J.A., Kincaid, A.E. and Bartz, J.C. (2005). Prion strain targeting. The Second International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium. Madison WI. July 12-14, 2005. 2005
"Prion strain selection in the central nervous system" The Second International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium. Madison WI. July 12-14, 2005. 2005
"Prion pathogenesis" AOAC International meeting and exposition. Kansas City, Missouri. 2005
"Prion diseases of humans and animals" Nebraska and Iowa Clinical Science Laboratory Meeting. Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, IA. 2005
"Prion strain targeting and competition in the central nervous system" Department of Veterinary Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings SD. 2005
"Interspecies transmission of prion diseases" Creighton University Medicine 2005
"Interspecies transmission of prion diseases" Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK. 2005
"Interspecies transmission of prion diseases" University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy Seminar Series, Omaha, NE. 2005
"Prion diseases of humans and animals" University of Nebraska Medical Center Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory Group, Omaha, NE. 2005
Kincaid, A.E, Kramer, M. and Bartz, J.C. (2005). Prion strain competition in the central nervous system. Keystone Symposia "Molecular Mechanisms of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (Prion Diseases)". Snowbird, UT. 2005
"Interspecies transmission of prions" Nebraska Infectious Disease Seminar. 2004
"Prion competition in the central nervous system" Animal prion diseases and the Americas, Ames IA. 2004
"Prion strain targeting and competition" Fourth annual Nebraska Center for Virology Symposium in Virology. University of Nebraska Lincoln. 2004
"Interspecies transmission of prion diseases" Chronic wasting disease / transmissible spongiform encephalopathy symposium, North Dakota Department of Agriculture, Bismarck, ND. 2004
"The Design of a Single Round Infectivity Assay for Mason-Pfizer Monkey Virus Using Green Fluorscing Protein" BRIN Student Jessica Hutter-Doane College 2004
"Interspecies Transmission of Prion Diseases" 2004
" Interspecies transmission of prion diseases" Creighton University Medical Center, Osteoporosis research center seminar. Omaha NE. 2004