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Graphical abstract, Highlights • The crystal structure of the anti-CRISPR repressor Aca2 has been solved to 1.34 Å. • Aca2 contains a new dimerization domain for HTH transcriptional regulators. • Aca2-like regulators are found encoded in diverse biological contexts., Bacteria use adaptive CRISPR-Cas immune mechanisms to protect from invasion by bacteriophages and other mobile genetic elements. In response, bacteriophages and mobile genetic elements have co-evolved anti-CRISPR proteins to inhibit the bacterial defense. We and others have previously shown that anti-CRISPR associated (Aca) proteins can regulate this anti-CRISPR counter-attack. Here, we report the first structure of an Aca protein, the Aca2 DNA-binding transcriptional autorepressor from Pectobacterium carotovorum bacteriophage ZF40, determined to 1.34 Å. Aca2 presents a conserved N-terminal helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain and a previously uncharacterized C-terminal dimerization domain. Dimerization positions the Aca2 recognition helices for insertion into the major grooves of target DNA, supporting its role in regulating anti-CRISPRs. Furthermore, database comparisons identified uncharacterized Aca2 structural homologs in pathogenic bacteria, suggesting that Aca2 represents the first characterized member of a more widespread family of transcriptional regulators.