Murine uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are transient, short-lived, terminally differentiated
lymphocytes found in decidualized endometrium. Cells expressing natural killer cell surface
markers are present in uteri of infant mice. Terminal uNK cell differentiation coincides with
mesometrial decidual development subsequent to blastocyst implantation and begins about
gestation day 5. uNK cells proliferate rapidly and, within 3 days, senescent uNK cells appear
in normal implantation sites. Mid-gestation, senescent cells become dominant and uNK cell …