1. Tissue activities, intracellular distribution as well as selected kinetic and molecular properties of succinyl-CoA-3-oxo acid CoA transferase (EC 2.8.3.5), which is an initiator of ketone body usage, were examined in rat kidney, heart, brain, skeletal muscle and liver. 2. The activities of the transferase in these tissues are similar to reported values and are somewhat affected by the homogenization medium. Higher recoveries of activity are obtained when a phosphate buffer is used during the homogenization; Tris solutions containing sucrose and mannitol lead to only slightly lower recoveries, but can be used in studies to determine the subcellular localization of the transferase activity. 3. A close correlation was observed between the relative activities of citrate synthase (a mitochondrial marker enzyme) and CoA transferase in the cytoplasmic, particulate and mitochondrial fractions from the five tissues. 4. The K(m) values for acetoacetate (measured in two different ways), the ratio of V(max.) values for the two enzyme-catalysed half-reactions, and succinate product inhibition are quite similar for the enzyme from each tissue. 5. The enzymes are also similar in molecular weight (with an approx. mol.wt. of 100000 as determined by gel filtration). All show an active band in isoelectric-focusing studies with pI 7.6, except for the enzyme from heart (pI 6.8). 6. The results demonstrate a mitochondrial origin for CoA transferase in these rat tissues and support the proposition that CoA transferase is a ketolytic enzyme, i.e. an enzyme uniquely involved in the complete oxidation of ketone bodies. The structural and functional similarities of these transferases suggest that factors other than differences in K(m) values account for differences in the utilization of ketone bodies by various tissues.