Protocol for parotidectomy and saliva analysis in mice

The murine parotid salivary glands develop postnatally, shaping oral mucosal immunity in early and adult life. This protocol details the surgical removal of the parotid glands (parotidectomy) of mice. We also describe a protocol for saliva collection to enable manipulation and measurement of physiological and immunological salivary functions. Our saliva collection approach has been modified from published protocols to enable saliva collection from young mice, which can be challenging. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Koren et al. (2020).