A culinary mushroom called Schizophyllum commune can be harmed by cadmium pollution. When exposed to cadmium, the fungus produces nitric oxide, which causes enzymes called chitinases to become more active. These active enzymes break down the mushroom’s cell wall, allowing more cadmium to accumulate and ultimately damage the fungus’s growth. By reducing nitric oxide levels, scientists may be able to protect this mushroom from cadmium poisoning.