Like cell-free EBV infection, EGF promotes the transmission of EBV from infected Akata cells to uninfected HNE1 cells, partially depending on the expression of NRP1 on the host cells (Supplementary Fig. 13), suggesting an important role of NRP1 and EGF in facilitating not only cell-free EBV infection, but also cell-to-cell contact-mediated infection. This evidence concerns the gene EGF and infection.