Answer
The same quantity of pyruvate can be used to treat mitochondria isolated from the DNP-treated mice and mice in the control group. If the proton gradient and effectiveness of oxidative phosphorylation are reduced in the DNP-treated mice, the number of ATP produced in this group will be less than the number of ATP produced in the control group.
Work Step by Step
An experiment to link life span and oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria will have two groups:
An untreated control group
A DNP-treated group.
From the time when the mice are treated with DNP, each individual mouse in both groups can be monitored for ATP levels at periodic intervals of time until the point where the mice begin to die. When all of the mice die, the average ATP levels can be correlated to the lifespan of the mice.
ATP levels can be used as a read-out for oxidative phosphorylation. The experiments will likely give results that indicate that increased levels of oxidative phosphorylation are associated with reduced lifespan.
