Oxidative challenge caused a significant increase in phosphorylated Akt levels but a significantly decrease in Sirt1 and phosphorylated AMPK levels in the offspring of dams fed with the serine-deficient diet, thereby suggesting that the impaired antioxidant defense system caused by maternal serine deficiency was mediated by a dysfunctional Akt/AMPK/Sirt1 pathway. The gene discussed is SIRT1; the disease is neurometabolic disorder due to serine deficiency.