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Hyperoxia is a well-known cause of cerebral white matter injury in preterm infants with male sex being an independent and critical risk factor for poor neurodevelopmental outcome. We investigated the underlying mechanisms behind such a sex dependent difference in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Our findings demonstrate that oxidative stress severely affects cellular functions related to energy metabolism, stress response, and maturation in male derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) whereas the female cells remain largely unaffected. This impairment of maturation is accompanied by the downregulation of nucleoporin and nuclear lamina proteins. We identify Nup133, which regulates OPC maturation as a major target protein affected by hyperoxia in male cells and that this differential response is mediated by an inverse Nup133 regulation in the male and female cells. It also regulates mitochondrial function and oxidative stress response through its downstream target Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (Nrf1). Additionally, the presence of 17-β estradiol and higher amounts of fetal zone steroids (precursors for maternal estrogen synthesis during fetal development) confer resistance to the female cells mediated by the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) along with Nup133. Both Nup133 and ERα regulate mitochondrial function and oxidative stress response by transcriptional regulation of Nrf1. These findings establish prominent sex based differences and the molecular mechanisms involved in differential response of OPCs towards oxidative stress and the important role of Nup133 in mediating a severe negative outcome in the male cells.