The enzyme, characterized from the plants Impatiens balsamina, Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) and Vernicia fordii (tung tree), converts a single cis double bond at carbon 12 to two conjugated trans bonds at positions 11 and 13. The enzyme from Vernicia fordii can also act as a 12(E) desaturase when acting on the monounsaturated fatty acids oleate and palmitoleate. cf. EC 1.14.19.16, linoleoyl-lipid ¦¤12 conjugase (11E,13Z-forming).