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Uterine natural killer (NK) cells are critical for reproductive success, yet the molecular cues in the uterus that instruct their specialized identities remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify a TGF-\u03b2-dependent differentiation pathway by which circulating conventional NK cells convert into uterine tissue-resident NK cells during murine pregnancy. Loss of TGF-\u03b2 receptor II expression in\n                    <jats:italic>Ncr1<\/jats:italic>\n                    -expressing cells disrupted this conversion, markedly reducing tissue-resident NK cells in the gravid uterus. Impaired TGF-\u03b2-driven uterine tissue-resident NK cell differentiation during murine pregnancy led to abnormal spiral artery remodeling and increased fetal resorption rates at mid-gestation, ultimately reducing litter sizes at birth. Collectively, these findings define TGF-\u03b2 as a pivotal driver of tissue-resident NK cell differentiation in the gravid uterus and establish a mechanistic framework through which the uterine microenvironment programs NK cell identity to meet the physiological demands of gestation.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.7554\/elife.109878","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T14:30:14Z","timestamp":1770906614000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7554\/elife.109878","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["TGF-\u03b2 drives the conversion of conventional NK cells into uterine tissue-resident NK cells to support murine pregnancy"],"prefix":"10.7554","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7850-5848","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Josselyn 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