Precursors for milk protein synthesis have been examined in lactating dairy goats using arteriovenous difference and isotope kinetic techniques. Certain amino acids, such as phenylalanine and histidine, are taken up by the mammary gland in quantities that are insufficient to account for their output in milk protein. Some amino acids have been shown to be present in significant quantities (10-30% of total non-protein-bound amino acids) as peptides (< 1,500 Da) in the arterial supply to the mammary gland, although methodological considerations make it difficult to accurately assess the extent of their uptake across the tissue bed. Indirect evidence for the utilization of peptides for milk protein synthesis in vivo has been obtained, however, by examination of the kinetics of milk casein labeling during long-term (24 h) systemic infusion of [1-13C]phenylalanine and [1-13C]leucine. Comparison of plateau enrichments for blood, plasma, and casein indicate that, although, for leucine, the plasma free pool seems to provide all the leucine for milk protein synthesis, sources other than the labeled plasma free amino acids contribute phenylalanine (10-20%) for casein biosynthesis. These findings raise questions relating to the type and source of amino acid precursors used by tissues for protein synthesis.