KfrA of the broad host range RA3 plasmid is an alpha-helical DNA-binding protein that acts as a transcriptional autoregulator. KfrARA3 operator site overlaps the kfrA promoter and is composed of five 9 bp repeats (DR). Here, the biological properties of KfrA were studied using both in vivo and in vitro approaches. Localization of DNA binding helix-turn-helix motif (HTH) was mapped to the N29-R52 region by protein structure modelling and confirmed by the alanine scanning. KfrA repressor ability depended on the number and orientation of DRs in the operator, as well as the ability of the protein to oligomerize. Long alpha-helical tail of residues 54-355, was shown to be involved in the self-interactions whereas 54-177 region was involved in heterodimerization with KfrC, another RA3 encoded alpha-helical protein. KfrA also interacted with the segrosome proteins, IncC (ParA) and KorB (ParB), representatives of the class Ia active partition systems. Deletion of the kfr genes from the RA3 stability module decreased the plasmid retention in diverse hosts in a species-dependent manner. The specific interactions of KfrA with DNA are essential not only for the transcriptional regulatory function but also for the accessory role of KfrA in the plasmid stable maintenance.
Importance Alpha-helical coiled-coil KfrA-type proteins are encoded by various broad-host-range low copy number conjugative plasmids. DNA-binding KfrA protein of the RA3 plasmid from IncU incompatibility group oligomerizes, forms a complex with another plasmid-encoded, alpha-helical protein, KfrC and interacts with the segrosome proteins IncC and KorB. The unique mode of KfrA dimer binding to the repetitive operator is required for a KfrA role in the stable maintenance of RA3 plasmid in distinct hosts.