It was found that Shinorhizobium meliloti hemoprotein (SM) was more effective than Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (Vhb) in promoting secondary metabolites production when overexpressed in Streptomyces lividans TK24. The transformant with sm (sm-transformant) produced 2.7-times and 3-times larger amounts of actinorhodin than the vhb-transformant in solid culture and flask culture, respectively. In both solid and flask cultures, a larger amount of undecylprodigiocin was produced by the sm-transformant. It is considered that the overexpression of SM especially has activated the pentose phosphate pathway through oxidative stress, as evidenced by an increased NADPH production observed, and that it has promoted secondary metabolites biosynthesis.