Confers strong transcriptional repression to the AP-2-alpha gene. Binds to a regulatory element (A32) in the AP-2-alpha gene promoter. The 9aaTAD motif is a transactivation domain present in a large number of yeast and animal transcription factors. In KLF12, the motif is inactive. Belongs to the Sp1 C2H2-type zinc-finger protein family.