Associate Professor Tatiana (Tanya) Soboleva
Tanya
Group Leader - The Soboleva Group
MSc (MSU), PhD
email tanya.soboleva@anu.edu.au
call +61 2 612 53491
link ANU Researcher Portal profile

Content navigation

About

Dr Tatiana (Tanya) Soboleva received her undergraduate training in biochemistry at the Moscow State University. In 1998 she was awarded an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship by the Australian Government.  She undertook her PhD study at the JCSMR, ANU, with Dr Rohan Baker and was awarded a PhD in Molecular Medicine for her work investigating nucleocytoplasmic transport of the de-ubiquitilating enzyme, Usp4. In 2003 she undertook post-doctoral studies with Professor Ian Young (JCSMR, ANU), investigating how the cytokines activate their receptor systems. In 2006 she joined Professor David Tremethick’s laboratory (JCSMR, ANU). The research in the laboratory is focused on investigation of how gene expression  and chromatin structure is regulated by the epigenetic mechanisms. Specifically, we are interested in how histone variants influence chromatin states and transcription. Dr Soboleva has discovered a novel histone variant in mice, H2A.Lap1. We have found that H2A.Lap1 histone variant that is related to a human variant, H2A.Bbd, is involved in activation of gene expression, as well as pre-mRNA splicing processes. The detailed in-depth study of the function of H2A.Lap1 variant in vivo, showed that this histone protein alters chromatin structure to allow activation and processing of genes during specific stages of male germ cells and in the brain. In addition, we have recently found that H2A.Bbd is overexpressed in some cancers and may play a causative role during carcinogenesis. These results provide new avenues for many exciting research projects for domestic PhD and Honours students.

Areas of expertise

  • Epigenetics (Including genome methylation and epigenomics)
  • Developmental genetics (Including sex determination)
  • Cancer epigenetics
  • Neurogenetics
  • Cell development, proliferation and death

Affiliations

Research interests

The research in the laboratory is focused on investigation of how gene expression  and chromatin structure is regulated by the epigenetic mechanisms. Specifically, we are interested in how histone variants influence chromatin states and transcription. Dr Soboleva has recently discovered a novel histone variant in mice, H2A.Lap1. We have found that mice have a family of four H2A.Lap1-like variants, all related to a human variant, H2A.Bbd. The detailed in-depth study of the function of H2A.Lap1 variant in vivo, showed that this histone protein alters chromatin structure to allow activation of genes during specific stages of spermatogenesis. In addition, we found that in the testis, H2A.Lap1 interacts with the RNA splicing machinery – a very unexpected and novel observation, never previously reported for histone variants. These results provide new avenues for many exciting research projects for domestic PhD and Honours students. 

Recent Research Funding:

2022-2026           NHMRC Ideas Grant (Role: CIA) $1,050,000.00 “Targeting a novel oncofactor, histone H2A.B, for Hodgkin lymphoma treatment”.

2022-2026           NHMRC Ideas Grant (Role: CIA) $950,000.00 “Communication via epigenetic mechanisms: cell crosstalk and male fertility”

2020-2021           ACT Cancer Council grant (Role: CIA) $65,000.00 “Finding a more specific and efficient treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma”.

2018-2021           NHMRC project Grant (Role: CIB) $1,100,000.00 “Uncovering new epigenetic-based regulatory mechanisms of gene expression: "novel links between histone variants, RNA function and disease.”

Projects

Teaching information

Student supervision:

PhD student supervision

2026-current        Mr Joshua McRae (Primary supervisor)

2025-current        Mr Numeree Muntasir (Primary supervisor/chair)

2020- 2024           Mr Nazmul Apu (Primary supervisor)

2019-2023            Mr Arash Hjizadeh (Advisor)

2016-2020            Mr Xuanzhhao Jiang (Primary supervisor)

2016-2017            Ms Michel Watson (Primary supervisor)

2012-2018            Ms Nur Diana Anuar (Primary supervisor)

2006-2009           Mr Sunghun Lee (PhD advisor)

2003-2007           Ms Shweta Singhal (PhD advisor)

Honours/Masters students (primary supervisor)

2026                      Ms Jess Galeano, Honours student

2026                      Ms Kirsten Taylor, Honours student

2025                      Mr Ziyang Gao, Master's student, 

2024                      Mr Luca Borserio, Honours student 

2024                      Mr Letian Hong , Honours student

2023-2024          Ms Natalie Cierpisz , Honours student

2016-2017            Ms Yichen Hou, Honours student 

2015                      Ms Gege Sun , Honours student

2013-2014           Ms Yu-Huam (Shayla) Wu, Master's student

2010                      Mr John Tng, Honours student

Location

Room # 3.068

Publications

  1. T Soboleva*, MNH Apu, JH Lim, M Volpert, N Flack, Y Khramtsov, Histone Variant H2A. B. 3 Orchestrates a New Nuclear Pathway for Histone mRNA Decay. Research square Preprint: 2025 Dec. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8304477/v1
  2. Patalano, F., Hovet, O., Rossini, R., Nekrasov, M., Dijkwel, Y., Azad, B. Soboleva, T.A. Aasland, R., Tremethick, D., Paulsen, HP1α depletion and TGFβ activation exert antagonistic effects on 3D genome organization. 2026 J BioRxiv. doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.02.12.705282 
  3. Jiang X, Wen J, Nelson M, Dijkwel Y, Repenning A, Cairns B, Bauer U, Hart-Smith G, Soboleva, T.A 1 * and Tremethick D.J 1 * Non-Chromatin Regulatory Functions of the Histone Variant H2A.B in SWI/SNF Genomic Deposition. Science Advances,  2025 Jul 25;11(30):eadx1568. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adx1568   
  4. Apu, M. N. H., Shirokikh, N. E., Khochbin, S., & Soboleva, T. A* (2023). An improved method for purification of the residual bodies from the seminiferous tubules of mice. Current Protocols, 3, e920. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.920 
  5. Jiang X, et al, …Tremethick DJ and Soboleva TA* H2A. B is a cancer/testis factor involved in the activation of ribosome biogenesis in Hodgkin lymphoma. EMBO reports 2021; 22 (8), e52462 
  6. Jiang X, Soboleva TA*, Tremethick DJ*. Short Histone H2A Variants: Small in Stature but not in Function. Cells. 2020;9(4):867. Published 2020 Apr 2. doi:10.3390/cells9040867 
  7. Anuar, ND Field, M Kurscheid, S Zhang, L Rebar, E Gregory, P Bowles, J Koopman, P Tremethick, DJ and Soboleva, TA* (2019) Gene-editing of H2A.B and its importance for fertility (invited article). Genome Biology20(1):23. doi: 10.1186/s13059-019-1633-3. 
  8. Anuar, ND Field, M Kurscheid, S Zhang, L Rebar, E Gregory, P Bowles, J Koopman, P Tremethick, DJ and Soboleva, TA*(2018) Gene editing of the multi-copy H2A.B gene family by a single pair of TALENs in mice. Human Genomics, 12(1). 
  9. T. A. Soboleva* & D. J. Tremethick (2018) “RChIP-seq: chromatin-associated RNA sequencing in developmentally staged mouse testis. “Histone Variants”, MMB, Sringer, 2018. Book chapter. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8663-7_9
  10. Soboleva, T. A., B. J. Parker, M. Nekrasov, G. Hart-Smith, Y. J. Tay, W. Q. Tng, M. Wilkins, D. Ryan and D. J. Tremethick (2017). "A new link between transcriptional initiation and pre-mRNA splicing: The RNA binding histone variant H2A.B." PLoS Genet 13(2): e1006633. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1006633
  11. Moretti, C., M. E. Serrentino, C. Ialy-Radio, M. Delessard, T. A. Soboleva, F. Tores, M. Leduc, P. Nitschke, J. R. Drevet, D. J. Tremethick, D. Vaiman, A. Kocer and J. Cocquet (2017). "SLY regulates genes involved in chromatin remodeling and interacts with TBL1XR1 during sperm differentiation." Cell Death Differ 24(6): 1029-1044. https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2017.32
  12. Soboleva TA, Nekrasov M, Ryan D and Tremethick DJ. “Histone variants at the transcription start site” Trends in Genetics. 2014 May, volume 30(5):199-209 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2014.03.002
  13. Nekrasov M#, Soboleva TA#, et al. “Showcase on Research article: Histone variant selectivity at the TSS”. Australian Biochemist, 2014, volume 45(1):12-16. 
  14. Nekrasov M#, Soboleva TA#, Jack C, Tremethick DJ. An invited article: “Histone variant selectivity at the transcription start site: H2A.Z or H2A.Lap1.” Nucleus. 2013 Nov-Dec;4(6):431-8. doi:10.4161/nucl.26862 
  15. Nekrasov M, AmrichovaJ, Parker B, Soboleva TA, Jack C, Williams R, Huttley G and Tremethick DJ. (2012). “H2A.Z inheritance during the cell cycle and its impact on promoter organisation and dynamics” Nature structure and Molecular Biology, https://doi.org/10.1038/nsmb.2424
  16. Soboleva TA, Nekrasov M, Pahwa A, Williams R, Huttley GA, Tremethick DJ (2012).  “A unique H2A histone variant occupies the transcriptional start site of active genes.” Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.19(1):25-30.; DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2161 
  17. Greaves I, Rangasamy D, Soboleva T; et al. (2009) “The organization of the centromere requires the interplay of two essential histone variants” Chromosome research. 17(4) pp543-544. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10577-009-9050-1.
  18. Murphy JM, Soboleva TA, Mirza S, Ford SC, Olsen JE, Chen J, Young IG (2008). “Clarification of the role of N-glycans on the common beta-subunit of the human IL-3, IL-5 and GM-CSF receptors and the murine IL-3 beta-receptor in ligand-binding and receptor activation”. Cytokine. 42(2):234-42. DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2008.02.010 
  19. Baker RT, Catanzariti AM, Karunasekara Y, Soboleva TA, Sharwood R, Whitney S, Board PG.(2005) “Using deubiquitylating enzymes as research tools.” Methods Enzymol. 398:540-54. IF 1.9; DOI: 10.1016/S0076-6879(05)98044-0 
  20. Soboleva TA, Jans DA, Johnson-Saliba M, Baker RT.(2005) “Nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling of the oncogenic mouse UNP/USP4 deubiquitylating enzyme.” Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280(1):745-52. DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M401394200
  21. Soboleva TA, Baker RT. (2004) “Deubiquitinating enzymes: their functions and substrate specificity.” Curr Protein Pept Sci. 5(3):191-200. Review. DOI: 10.2174/1389203043379765
  22. Catanzariti AM, Soboleva TA, Jans DA, Board PG, Baker RT (2004) “An efficient system for high-level expression and easy purification of authentic recombinant proteins.” Protein Sci. 13(5):1331-9. DOI: 10.1110/ps.04618904