The present invention relates to a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a
hybrid polypeptide which comprises a transit peptide for the
translocation of the polypeptide into an appropriate organelles such as
plastids, a starch-encapsulating region from maize starch synthase and a
payload polypeptide, wherein said payload polypeptide can be either N- or
C-terminal to the starch encapsulating region. The invention also relates
to the expression vectors comprising said nucleic acid, and hosts
comprising the said vector. Also, the invention encompasses methods of
producing the hybrid polypeptide thereof from starch and particularly
from starch granules, and industrial uses of the payload polypeptide
recombinantly produced in said hybrid polypeptide wherein said payload
polypeptide is a biologically active molecule.