Metabolism and utilization of plant-derived aromatic substances are fundamental to the saprophytic growth of Streptomyces. Here, we studied an enzyme activity reducing 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol and nitroblue tetrazolium in the culture supernatant of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). N-terminal amino acid sequencing of a nitroblue tetrazolium-reducing enzyme revealed that the enzyme corresponds to the SCO2180 product. The protein exhibited a marked similarity with dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, the E3 subunit of 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex. A recombinant SCO2180 protein formed a homodimer and exhibited a diaphorase activity catalyzing NADH-dependent reduction of various quinonic substrates. Similar nitroblue tetrazolium-reducing activities were observed for other Streptomyces strains isolated from soil, implying that the diaphorase-catalyzed reduction of quinonic substances widely occurs in the extracytoplasmic space of Streptomyces. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.