An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of controlling TYLCV whereby the infection cycle of TYLCV can be broken. The present invention provides a novel virus that is not transmitted by an insect vector as a tomato yellow leaf curl virus. The present invention also provides a method of controlling a tomato yellow leaf curl disease and a method of preventing transmission of a yellow leaf curl virus by using a tomato yellow leaf curl virus not transmitted by an insect vector.

The disclosure provides modified plant viruses designed for delivering a nucleotide of interest into mammalian cells. The modified plant viruses include a plant virus nucleotide sequence (e.g. fragment) that is capable of transfecting a mammalian cell when that mammalian cell expresses a receptor for the modified plant virus. Accordingly, the disclosure also provides receptors for the modified plant viruses as well as methods of using the receptor or the modified plant virus and receptor.